KERRY MAY TAKE the unprecedented step of attempting to declare the county an island if issues surrounding access to the Kingdom aren’t addressed.
Councillors yesterday morning voted unanimously in favour of a motion calling on the National Roads Authority and the Government to address the poor condition of several main access roads.
They will take the matter to Europe if their calls go unanswered.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, South Kerry Independent Party councillor Michael Gleeson said:
The three major roads into the county are all in a deplorable state, or are gridlocked.
“I was asking in view of the continued failure of the NRA to do anything.”
If authorities here in Ireland do not act satisfactorily, they will seek help from the Europe over the social and economic isolation Kerry has faced, Gleeson added.
“And if they don’t respond, we will seek island status,” he said, as the county has become so isolated, and noted the range of grants and supports available.
Fianna Fáil’s Niall Kelleher, who seconded the motion, said that the current intention is that it would only be attempted if they don’t “get a fair hearing” from Europe.
He said that bypasses have been in the pipeline for years, and while some came to fruition in other parts of the country, Kerry has been left behind.
“We’ll see what happens, but I don’t think we’ll be allow get out a JCB and dig around the county’s border”, Gleeson noted, although joked that it would create construction jobs and could even be used to boost Kerry’s Irish speaking regions.
First published 12.22pm
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