Kerry County Councillors have been giving their reaction to a ministerial order compelling the local authority to alter the County Development Plan 2022 - 2028.
The order relates to policies around wind energy and planning applications requiring access onto national primary or secondary roads.
Councillors had sought to include these in the new county development plan against the advice of the council executive.
The Office of the Planning Regulator said the councillors’ amendments were contrary to national policy, and made recommendations for them to be changed.
Kerry councillors introduced a measure to the Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 which would restrict construction of wind energy infrastructure to Kilgarvan only.
Councillors also called for the inclusion of an amendment which would facilitate and support planning applications for businesses creating jobs that need access onto national primary or secondary roads.
They also wanted included in the new county development plan that new planning applications by families who want to build houses in their areas which need access to national primary or secondary roads where there are existing entrances would be favourably considered.
Fine Gael councillor Aoife Thornton says the councillors won some concessions from Minister of State Peter Burke who chose not to go ahead with three of the five recommendations made by the regulator.
Fianna Fáil councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald said it had been suggested to him that councillors should fight the minister's decision and seek a judicial review. However, he fears this would lead to the whole of the county being opened up for windfarm development while the matter proceeds through the courts which could take years.
