The Ring of Kerry is not safe for road users and needs proper investment to keep it ‘at an acceptable standard,’ according to a local councillor.
Ireland’s premier tourist route is a national secondary road and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TFI) is responsible for funding it.
The route around the Iveragh Peninsula - beginning and ending in Killarney - takes in many of the big hitters in the Kingdom, from Moll's Gap to Torc Waterfall and the Gap of Dunloe.
On Newstalk Breakfast, however, Fianna Fáil's Michael Cahill said it is not getting the funding to keep it at 'an acceptable standard'.
"It's potholes, it's humps - the road itself is out of shape," he said.
"I suppose, to be fair, a lot of the Ring of Kerry is built on a bog really.
"The Ring of Kerry is almost 180 kms long, it's Ireland's premier tourist route, it attracts people from all over the world outside of its everyday traffic.
"Obviously there has been a big shortfall for many, many years now - this didn't happen overnight.
"When we do certain sections of it, it just highlights how bad the majority of the Ring of Kerry actually is."
'Overgrown with hedges'
Cllr Cahill said the road should be safe to use for everyone.
"It's not going to be like the M50 but it should be safe to travel for all users be they motorists or bus drivers, walkers or cyclists and it's not," he said.
"If you drive 50 km in a car, you'll end up inside a ditch in certain sections of it, that is the reality here.
"The other issue is it's overgrown with hedges and trees and everything.
"Bus drivers are continuously claiming that they have to cross the white line to the opposite side of the road to avoid accidents.
"It's not even being properly maintained in that context; I have already for an annual maintenance budget for the Ring of Kerry and a maintenance team that would look after it," he added.
Under the Wildlife Acts, it is against the law to cut, burn or otherwise destroy vegetation including hedges between March and August, but there are exemptions which allow hedge-cutting in cases of road safety concerns.
