A newly elected councillor says speed at one junction is "lethal" and is calling in the Council to introduce traffic calming measures to reduce the speed limit.

Cllr John O'Donoghue asked if the Council would liaise with the relevant bodies to look at the possibility of introducing a reduced speed limit at the junction of the N22 with the R569 where the Cork road meets the road to Kilgarvan at Clonkeen "in light of yet another accident there recently".

"This junction where the N22 meets the R569 where the Cork road meets the Kilgarvan road at Clonkeen has been a major source of frustration for locals with a long time now," he said at the recent Killarney Municipal meeting.

"It is extremely dangerous with numerous accidents and near misses over the years. The junction is simply too busy, and with passing traffic moving far too quickly, it is lethal. This is particularly the case with traffic coming from the County Bounds on the Cork side as they are travelling in the lane vehicles turning off have to pass through, and the junction is a little blind to them and they are coming at such speed they are regularly not realising there is a junction there until too late. I call on the Council and other relevant bodies to examine traffic calming measures, including but not exclusively, reducing the speed limit before the junction and installing an electronic speed sign notifying motorists they are driving too fast. The recent accident there, as well as others elsewhere have really highlighted the need to tackle this junction before it is too late and someone gets killed up there."

In their reply the Council said that safety works to improve sight distance at the N22/R569 junction were completed earlier this year.

"Kerry County Council will consult with the Garda Traffic Corps in relation to this section of the N22 and will continue to monitor the junction and will examine any verified collision data or information when available to identify any issues which may remain."

In response to their reply, Cllr O'Donoghue said that he "welcomed the improvement works already completed this year but did not accept that these were adequate and felt much more needs to be done".

"I said regrettably it looks as though it will take a serious accident at this junction to prompt the TII to change the speed limit up there."