My first question at yesterday’s (20th June)  MD meeting, ‘In light of the Curragh Forum’s rejection of the council’s invite to meet with Municipal District Councillors to discuss ongoing littering, overgrazing, illegal encampments, damage to unique flora and fauna, and degradation of the Curragh Plains can Municipal District Councillors receive a written progress report on what if any progress has been made regarding any of these areas of concern; this report should include the Curragh Forum’s response to Municipal District Councillors request that they broaden representation on the Forum to include amenity users.

Here is the report issued by Mr T McDonnell, Director of Service, Housing and Corporate Services : ‘During the course of a discussion at the January meeting of the council (item 19/0118 – motion to ask the Minister for Defence in conjunction with the Minister for Heritage and the Minister for Agriculture, to address the legislative barriers preventing interested parties from progressing a vision for the Curragh Plains as a multifunctional recreational, cultural and heritage amenity for all of Kildare) the members were advised (as the creation of new primary legislation will take a long time) that the Chief Executive had confirmed that Kildare County Council had volunteered to prepare a vision document with respect to the Curragh . A draft report has been prepared, and was sent at the end of last month to the Department of Defence for their consideration. Thereafter the report will be circulated by the Department of Defence to the members of the forum, and at the same time the report will also be circulated to members of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District. Members have previously been advised that the request in relation to the Curragh Forum addressing the Municipal District, was forwarded to the Department.