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We are appealing for our sheep to be protected and taken care of when injured. Speeding kills & it is affecting innocent sheep, walkers, joggers and other drivers. Speed ramps are needed on Curragh roads to save all lives.

I started this petition with an intent to take you on a journey and to see the Curragh through my eyes. My journey like many locals here has been an emotional rollercoaster. With many highs amongst this dreamy landscape and captivating sunsets, we also experience unforgettable lows. Long days and long nights attending to defenceless injured animals is not a task for the faint hearted. Many barriers exist.

There are no speed ramps to slow down excessive speed that is causing frequent road accidents that go unreported. There are no information signs on how to help an injured sheep, certainly not enough rangers to attend to urgent sheep injuries and the public have no assigned vets on call to access emergency cases and so the injured lamb or sheep is left to die in prolonged suffering circumstances. Unfortunately farmers are not quick enough to attend to vulnerable lambs & sheep that have been either attacked or knocked down. How can we help with this? We need changes.  Necessary speed ramps to slow down traffic and we need for farmers and public to support one another for the welfare of these sentient creatures and the Curragh.

The experiences I have encountered like many others living here, will leave you haunted with images and sounds that are just too disturbing to share.  Sheep as prey animals rarely vocalise their pain & people can ignore them as a result.

Our signatures on this petition is to help permanently break down these barriers.

This is our norm and it is not acceptable for our future. Our children deserve to be part of something much better than this. 

Some facts to familiarise yourself with;

Sheep have the right of way to wander the road. Vehicles must slow down or stop if necessary.

No one claims responsibility for the roads regarding implementing safety measures.

The Curragh Act 1961 states that the Department of Defence are responsible for and govern the lands of the Curragh Plains. 
*Section 9 states the Curragh roads are excluded and the sole responsibility for costs, maintenance and repairs is by the Kildare County Council*. 

The Kildare County Council have repeatedly denied accountability for safety measures and The Department of Defence deny responsibility also. 

There are no emergency information boards anywhere in the Curragh to help the public or tourists in times of need. No contacts details to report injured sheep.

Your local vet cannot attend or help a sheep, if so they will be fined for helping. The Curragh Ranger must be called to inform the farmer. Immediately you must call the Department of Agriculture in Naas and they will send out an authorised vet to attend to the lamb or sheep. This record is the only way to ensure the farmer helps the sheep.

Daily, sheep, vehicles, vulnerable cyclists, pedestrians and shockingly our school going children are put at risk everyday on these roads and our County Council have refused for decades o action our concerns by implementing speed ramps.

Excessive speeding and over taking is daily in these sheep grazing areas.

Sheep have been cruelly subjected to unimaginable road rages across the Curragh Plains leaving blood baths as part of joy rides. No fines or jail time is imposed.

Blood thirsty pets are allowed to chase and savage helpless lambs and sheep. Pregnant sheep can loose a lamb after a even an innocent chase.

A few facts;

The Curragh Act 1961 section 9 states that Kildare County Council are responsible for the costs, maintenance and repairs on Curragh Roads. This includes speed ramps. We need both DOD and KCC to action this.

The Curragh, attracts well over 100,000 people to sight see and attend horse racing every year. Astonishingly it makes an economical contribution of at least 100 million annually, to our Irish national economy . Little of that money has been contributed to road safety measures or protecting our sheep on treacherous roads R413, L7042 and L2032. The Road R416 leaves people in both Athgarvan and the Newbridge community at high risk of pedestrian and motorists accidents especially now the winter is upon us. It is impossible to see anyone on this narrow, winding road with no footpath or cycle path connecting both areas. People are risking their daily lives commuting on these roads to work without suitable transport.  Last but not least L7034 and L7043 experience a high volume of traffic with excessive speeding. In the early days residents were told these areas would receive very little traffic. There is no control here and reduction in speed limits and inputting speed ramps especially on L7043 is urgently required. My personal vehicle has been damaged driving into the nearby ditch to avoid oncoming speeding traffic and oncoming walkers.

Did you know that horses hooves damage the grounds that sheep graze on eventually leading to severe injuries. Appropriate horse tracks should be allocated.

Many sheep have died dehydrated, a problem unresolved for years.

Innocent lambs and sheep frequently suffer from foot and mouth disease. It leaves them lame and with difficult grazing. An early vaccination as part of a government plan can prevent this.

Foot rot is so common and leaves a sheep in constant agony. This can be avoided or helped with an early vaccination through a government plan and with proper maintenance of The Curragh land i.e. thistles and horses hooves.

We, the Kildare community, request the following solutions to be actioned in order to protect the sheep on the Curragh Plains and to protect the public.

Solutions

*Ensure appropriate signage and emergency contact numbers for the public are displayed in every zone.
*Stop road kill by installing multiple adequate road safety measures i.e. speed ramps, roundabouts, traffic lights, speed checks and speed cameras.
*Make it mandatory for farmers to vaccinate their flock and to follow the UK 5 point plan to prevent lamb and sheep foot rot and foot and mouth disease.
*Issue heavy fines to anyone found guilty of laying poison on the Curragh. It puts children and animals at risk.
*Ensure immediate follow up is practised on reported cases of neglect & abuse of sheep.
*Issue heavy fines to anyone found guilty of abusing sheep.
*Provide access to several water sources in every zone for the sheep.
*Farmers to provide additional adequate feed during winter season because of frost and snow.
*Issue fines for littering, dumping, camping and chasing sheep.
*Protect sheep from vehicle joy rides with fencing zones.
*Install surveillance cameras in every zone to protect sheep, record evidence and to manage the Curragh welfare.
*Recruit an adequate number of Curragh Rangers with the necessary skills and compassion to manage the Curragh Welfare.
*Zero tolerance fines for farmers not responding promptly to the welfare of a sheep.
*Introduce safe foot and cycle paths for the public.
*Make it mandatory for the Department of Defence to appropriately remove thistles to avoid foot injuries to the public, dogs and sheep.
*Recruit daily volunteers to support the sheep and Curragh welfare by observing,  reporting and recording concerns.
*Install a dedicated horse track for The Curragh Plains and issue a fine for not using it.

Please if you care about animal welfare sign and share.

Thank you for taking the time and signing our petition.