Nearly 4,000 submissions have been made to Kildare County Council to develop a Conservation Management Plan according to Kildare Senator Fiona O’Loughlin.
The project aims to highlight the importance of the Curragh Plains and develop policies and management actions that will ensure the area is appropriately conserved, managed, maintained and interpreted. “I have done a lot of work on this and will continue to raise the importance of the Curragh Plains in Kildare,” said Senator O’Loughlin. “There are ongoing issues with illegal encampments, waste and inappropriate use of the plains which have been a boon to many within the 5km-but unfortunately there are issues such as people driving on to the grass etc. There also needs to be a clear plan to look at reseeding grass where needed. People need to be encouraged to use the Curragh, but we need designated parking, alongside discreet information signage so that we can all learn more about this national treasure that we are so lucky to have on our doorstep. Senator O’Loughlin has also called for the Department of Defence, the OPW and the Department of Heritage to set up a cross departmental task force immediately to address the issues and failures. “This also needs to be addressed in our upcoming County Kildare development plan,” concluded the Senator.