Kerry County Council officials have been told that they need to improve their communications policy in advance of any decision to close roads to facilitate events.
The call comes following a decision to close off roads in Killarney on Saturday, September 7 to facilitate the L’Etape cycle event.
The normally very busy Port Road – a key artery to and from the town centre – will be completely off limits to traffic for a full day with the road closed from Ballydowney Roundabout to St Mary’s Cathedral from 3.00am to 6.00pm.
In addition, the N71 from Killarney to Moll’s Gap, from the entrance to Muckross House to Brooklane Junction in Kenmare, will be closed to traffic from 7.00am to 9.30am that day as will the Ballaghbeama Pass to Glencar from 8.30am to 12 noon and the Caragh Lake road from the Climber’s Inn to Glannagilliagh from 9.00am to 2.00pm
At a meeting to discuss the matter on Thursday, it emerged that negotiations between council officials and the organisers of L’Etape have been ongoing since November of last year but local councillors were only notified of the road closures on August 9 last.
Cllr Niall O’Callaghan said the council has plenty of opportunity to inform the elected members but failed to do so and there is more transparency needed.
“Communication is very important,” he insisted.
Cllr Niall Kelleher said lessons need to be learned from the way the matter was handled.
He questioned the wisdom of the council’s decision to inform the public by booking a black and white advertisement at the back of a very colourful newspaper with no notification on social media sites and he said greater communication is needed going forward.
Cllr John O’Donoghue said he could understand why some of the traders in the town are very apprehensive about the matter.
“A bit of dialogue in advance would be good. Lessons need to be learned,” he said.
Mayor of Killarney Cllr Maura Healy-Rae said councillors who were receiving phone calls about the matter were “made to look kind of foolish” because they were only informed of the road closure decision a couple of days in advance, even though negotiations had been ongoing for months.
The councillors were told that it was an executive decision and, as such, it wasn’t a matter for them and L’Etape would be a great opportunity to showcase the town.
The council’s director of roads and transportation, Frank Hartnett, said the local authority deals with road closure requests on a daily basis and that the first engagement with the organisers of L’Etape was November 23 last.
“We have to consider the impact, both positive and negative and he said the matter was discussed with local interests in Killarney and Kenmare with a leaflet drop about the event organised in Killarney. Councillors said,however,that they had not seen any leaflets.
Despite issues about the road closures, councillors welcomed L’Etape and they said it would be a huge promotional opportunity for Killarney.
Mayor Healy-Rae said the cycle event would bring 3,000 participants and she presumes they won’t be travelling alone.
L’Etape – a Tour de France style event – will feature and 135km and 98km routes.
Apologising for any disruption that will arise, the organisers have said the road closures are necessary to ensure the safety of the participants and the public.
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