Councillors have hit out at Transport Infrastructure Ireland as a bypass project along one of Kerry's busiest routes has been delayed again.
Progress on the N22 Farranfore to Killarney bypass has been further delayed, after TII requested further work during the peer review of the draft option selection report.
Independent councillor Maura Healy-Rae brought an emergency motion on the issue to the monthly meeting of Kerry County Council.
Four potential routes for the N22 Farranfore to Killarney bypass were announced over a year ago, but the final design hasn’t yet been agreed.
During the peer review of the draft option selection report, Transport Infrastructure Ireland raised issues around the active travel and public transport aspects of the project.
Kerry County Council says this will delay public consultation of the emerging preferred route until at least the first quarter of next year.
A number of councillors hit out at the delay, saying they'd been told the route would be put on public display in September and then it was delayed until the end of November before it was pushed back again.
Cllr Maura Healy-Rae brought forward an emergency motion asking the council and TII to explain the delay with the project, adding people's lives are being impacted by it.
Fianna Fáil councillor Niall Kelleher proposed a deputation be sought with the Minister to discuss the project.
The delays were branded unacceptable by many Killarney MD councillors and they highlighted that the information they were being provided with, and subsequently bringing to the public, was later becoming inaccurate given the many delays to the project.
Councillors praised the council staff but criticised TII for their handling of the project.
Chief Executive of the council, Moira Murrell stated the council has a good working relationship with TII, adding Kerry has one of the highest number of schemes in the pipeline.
She told the meeting she heard and understood the concerns raised by councillors, but added that now the focus had to be on progressing the project and making it a feasible scheme.
