A lobbying group in Macroom is continuing to call on the Irish road authority to give the green light to a "much-needed" bypass in the busy County Cork town.

The calls, which have also been backed by local haulage firms, aim to put pressure on the Department of Transport to build the bypass, in order to ease traffic congestion along the main route to Killarney.

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Pat Melia, a member of the Cork to Kerry Gateway Action Group, said: "We are a community lobby group and we want to secure funding and a start date for this road project."

"National Road Authority (NRA) figures show that last August Bank Holiday weekend, 35,000 vehicles passed through the town. All the statistics show that every town which has been bypassed has benefited enormously," added Mr Melia.

The topic has been subject to continued discussions within the community, and online, with many drivers denoting the traffic problems in the area.

Suggestions have been made that any possible bypass will not be incorporated until 2015.

(PR/JM)