Refusal to install cattle grids raises concerns
By Mary Dennehy
COUNCILLORS and residents voiced their objection to South Dublin County Council’s refusal to introduce cattle grids into rural communities this week.
As reported in last week’s Echo, animals have been grazing on commonage or community grazing lands in Cunard, Piperstown and Glassymuck Breaks to the Featherbeds for generations, with these lands the last of commonage grazing in Dublin.
Since the 1980s, requests have been made by the rural community to re-instate livestock controls, which were removed when housing developments started to crawl up the hills.
With support from Tallaght Community Council [TCC], the Glenasmole Concerned Residents and Farming Group put together a 47-page proposal on the installation of four cattle grids into the area – a report which has received cross community and national support.
In response to a council decision not to introduce the grids, County Mayor Sarah Holland raised a motion at Monday’s February council meeting calling for the installation of the cattle grids – in order to preserve the heritage and farming rights of the common grazing lands in the Dublin Mountain.
Speaking in chambers, councillors stressed how the local authority has a responsibility to its rural communities and that, until these cattle grids are introduced, they would continue to raise the request.
The case put forward by residents, which has cross-party support, was also applauded.
While council management stated that it did not intend to install cattle grids, as they are not considered safe, especially for cyclists, a commitment was given to seek independent advice on the matter.
The council will ask road safety engineers, not connected to the council, to examine the installation of the cattle grids, providing an independent review which will be reported back to members.
Local farmer Donie Anderson told The Echo: “I guess we’re happy with the outcome, it’s better than the straight ‘no’ we were originally given.
“There are concerns however, over the terms of reference in relation to the independent review – what information is the council going to give them to review?”
He added: “I just find it hard to understand why Dublin is different than other rural areas around the country, these cattle grids have been installed in Carlow and Kildare.”
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