A Kerry councillor has proposed introducing 'tourist police or 'tourist guards' to make sure crowd sizes are kept under control in the county's tourist spots and beaches.
Kerry is considered one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, with officials there now considering how to manage numbers as more Irish people look towards 'staycations' this year.
Crowd numbers around the country have raised some concerns, with one Wexford beach closed on Sunday after 300 people gathered there.
West Kerry Fianna Fáil Councillor Breandán Fitzgerald spoke to Lunchtime Live about his proposal to help keep both locals and tourists safe.
He explained: “In our beaches we have lifeguards - lifeguards are there to protect and keep people safe. Maybe [we need] tourist guards or tourist guides that are there to assist, advice and help tourists who come to our county.
“The county is open - we’re welcoming people… but it is up to us to ensure that when tourists come to Kerry, they’re coming here and they’re going to be safe and locals are going to be safe.
“People have to use a certain amount of common sense. If a beach is full, then there’s no point in more people going on to the beach. We as a county have to make it safe."
Cllr Fitzgerald suggested there is "tension in the whole" country as a result of COVID-19, and local authorities should take an extra step to manage the situation a little bit better.
He observed: “We do not want to go into a situation where the country is shut down again. Let’s get ahead of this.
“Why should we have to close a whole beach and leave nobody on it, if we can manage the beach?
“We’ve done so well… let’s ensure we manage COVID-19. If that means having tour guides in our public areas saying ‘look, maybe come back in an hour’s time’.
“We have to make this as straightforward as possible - if there are too many people, then the best thing to do is to come back a different time.”
He stressed he doesn't want any tensions between visitors and locals in Kerry - saying that maybe 'guards' or 'guides' would be a better word to use than police.
