Calls have been made for immediate action to be taken to protect a vulnerable stretch of coastline in Co Wicklow from further erosion.
Parts of The Murrough north of Wicklow town were washed away during Storm Babet and its aftermath last week, adding to ongoing damage on this section of the coast.
A temporary walkway has been put in place for the public, to replace sections which have been destroyed, but campaigners say work is needed to protect the area on a long-term basis.
There are concerns that the erosion could eventually have an impact on the nearby railway line which passes close to the coast.
A landmark known locally as "the monkey pole" had to be moved at the weekend - not for the first time - as an immediate response to erosion caused by last week's storms, with 300 metres of coastal path north of Wicklow town affected.
Green Party TD for Wicklow, Steven Matthews, said the "much-loved walking route" along The Murrough, which lasts from Wicklow town to Kilcoole, has been "eroded badly" in recent days.
"It's very close to the rail line, major concern about the rail line. It's a strategic rail corridor and it's part of the Wicklow commuter route as well so we're seeking to put in interim measures here, more rock armour... as an interim measure to stop this erosion.
"We know with climate change we're going to get higher frequency events, we're going to get greater intensity of events so this area really is under pressure and subject to further erosion."
Local trader and president of the Wicklow Chamber of Commerce, Stephen Delaney, said The Murrough is "extremely important" to people in Wicklow.
"It frames the town, it frames the area. My generation and generations before have used The Murrough for walking, for recreation, for club activities, for tourist activities as well," he said.
"The monkey pole here behind us is an historical landmark and even that has been used to gauge the amount of erosion that's been taking place and it's frightening now the amount of erosion."
He said that the erosion is "getting worse and worse, on a yearly basis," and: "people are angry, upset, they're worried we're going to lose this amenity, they're worried they're going to lose this train line behind us, the main line between Dublin and Wexford and they want action now".
"It's been spoken about on numerous occasions down throughout the years and still nothing has happened and we're at breaking point now. It's at tipping point, both for an amenity and for an infrastructure link."
Wicklow County Council said today that, in recent days, they've been informed of efforts to secure funding for Irish Rail to carry out "emergency works" to secure the railway at this location. "Wicklow County Council will continue to monitor the coastline here and co-operate with and assist Irish Rail, while the bigger East Coast Rail Infrastructure Protection Project goes through the statutory processes."
The ECRIPP is a wider scheme aimed at protecting the entire rail line between Dublin and Rosslare, particularly along vulnerable stretches such as between Bray and Greystones, and between Kilcoole and Wicklow town.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications said that, as part of a strategy published this week on coastal protection, the Government has agreed to the immediate establishment of an inter-departmental steering group on coastal change.
