Cobble Stones are to be ripped up on Galway's Shop Street because they have been tripping up visitors.

Compensation claims have reportedly been on the increase since the City Council started repair works on the paving.

A number of people have been injured recently - including a woman in her sixties who broke her two front teeth and another in her eighties who broke her cheekbone.

On High Noon today, local councillor Peter Keane said the street surface is simply not up to scratch.

"We are paying out money hand and foot in terms of compensation claims," he said.

"We have been calling for quite a while to get it done, to get it fixed.

"This surface was put down in 2004 and it is utterly unacceptable that Galway City Council would have paid out so much money in claims."

The news comes amid increasing concerns over accessibility throughout Irish cities - with Dublin's Temple Bar also in line for a revamp, which could involve removing some cobbled streets.

The work could begin as early as next year with plans to widen and resurface footpaths.

These people in Dublin aren't happy at the thoughts of losing the iconic cobbles:

Green Party Councillor Ciaran Cuffe said removing cobblestones across the country is not the answer:

"I would be a little bit cautious at throwing the baby out with the bathwater," he said.

"I think if we were to remove every cobblestone in the city and pave things with concrete, we would lose a lot of the atmosphere and character of these areas, so I think it needs to be carefully considered."

You can listen back to Councillor Peter Keane's appearance on High Noon here: