By Sean Moriarty

Cllr Brendan Cronin has expressed concerns on how the public consultation for the proposed N22 Killarney to Farranfore road upgrade scheme is being handled.

There different road options have been published online and members of the public have been invited to make observations and comments on the project.
Today,(Friday June 25) is the last day for people to make submissions but Cllr Cronin believes that the Council and Transport Infrastructure have already made their decision.
He challenged senior Kerry County Council staff on the matter on Monday after he was told by several of his constituents that “other politicians” have been telling them that the route choice has already been made.
“This is making a mockery of the whole public consultation process,” he told the online meeting. “I want the council [executive] to clarify what I am being told in my area.”
n 2003, a preferred route corridor for an improved section of the N22 National Primary road between Farranfore and Killarney was identified. Following a Peer Review process in 2008, some refinement areas were identified for re-assessment and a refined preferred route corridor was finalised in 2012.
However, this project was later suspended due to the prevailing economic circumstances at the time. Since the identification and appraisal of the Refined Preferred Route Corridor in 2012, several changes to European and National policy have occurred including in areas of Environmental Protection, Climate Adaptation and Transport
In 2019, KCC in consultation with TII commenced a review of the scheme in accordance with current National Guidelines to consider and assess all alternative modes and options which could potentially improve the transport connectivity between Farranfore and Killarney and onwards to Tralee and Cork.