Kerry County Council is investigating reports of rats "swinging off the branches of trees" in a north Kerry estate.

Causeway resident, mother-of-two Amy Goggin, first noticed a number of rats near her home more than two years ago and reported the matter to the council.

However, yesterday Amy's seven-year-old daughter noticed a number of rats in a tree near their home.

Speaking on Radio Kerry, Amy said she and her children feel trapped.

She said: "They had a trampoline out the back, I'm after getting someone to take that down today because they are actually crying to get out the back, but I can't leave them out the back.

"So I literally can't go out the back of my house and I can't go out the front of my house now because of this trouble.

"If I had anywhere to go, I'd be gone so that they wouldn't have to witness that.

"Even this morning now, my little girl going out the door to school and I had to open the front door and she stood behind me until I walked out first, she was afraid to go out."

Amy told Kerry Today the rats were "like monkeys, swinging from branch to branch".