SDCC need to go back to drawing board on cattle grid issue

By Mary Dennehy

SOUTH Dublin County Council has been asked by elected representatives to go back to the drawing board in relation to the installation of cattle grids in rural areas.

As reported previously in The 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.

Up until the sixties, there were farm gates on the roads through these areas to keep animals on the commonage grazing lands, which have no known land ownership and are used communally by farmers to feed their livestock.

However, the emergence of large housing developments pushed farming further up the hills and the gates were removed, with no alternative introduced.

In recent months, the issue of cattle grids has been back on the agenda and following lengthy discussions on the matter, an Independent Safety Review of the proposed use of cattlegrids on public roads was commissioned by the council’s road section.

The report concluded that the implementation of cattle grids as proposed could result in an “increased risk of collision and or personal injury to road users” – including cyclists, joggers, motorists and motorcyclists.

Some examples given included, reduced skid resistance and loss of control for cyclists, trapped wheels in cattle grids and joggers who do not stop slipping, tripping or falling causing personal injury.

Based on these conclusions, the road department said that “there is no proposal to install cattlegrids as to do so would be an unacceptable and unwarranted hazard to all road users”.

However, the rural community got the full support of councillors at a recent meeting in council chambers, with elected representatives asking that the matter be considered further by the Land Use, Planning and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee.

Solidarity councillor Mick Murphy told The Echo: “The report did a risk assessment on one type of design [of cattle grid] but there are other designs out there.

“Money is not behind the council decision here, there are only four locations being suggested for cattle grids.

“It’s a safety issue for the council but I believe that we need to work on a design that is suitable for our county, there are other options that are used all over Ireland and across the world.

“Saying that they are a safety risk here in South Dublin County just doesn’t make sense.”

He added: “All of the councillors were quite vocally in support… and we need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a design that works.”

Glenasmole farmer Donie Anderson said: “We are feeling hopeful that something will happen as we have the backing of the councillors.

“Cattle grids will keep animals on the commonage, which maintains these areas and maintains a tradition that has been here for generations.

“People using the mountain areas particularly cyclists have to take responsibility for their own actions and disembark safely at cattle grids.”