A motion asking the chief executive of Kerry County Council to write a report to amend the County Development Plan narrowly failed to meet the threshold required.
2/3 of councillors would have needed to vote in favour for it to pass.
Independent councillor for the Killarney Municipal District, Maura Healy-Rae proposed the motion at the monthly meeting of the council.
Under the county development plan, housing development in parts of the greater Killarney area is restricted because these areas are zoned as 'under significant urban pressure'.
Cllr Maura Healy-Rae doesn't accept the basis in the plan that town regeneration needs to happen before out-of-town areas are opened up for housing development.
CEO of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell told councillors that it was hard to imagine the passing of such a motion without it leading to a ministerial direction or regulatory intervention in response.
Cllr Healy-Rae believes people should be allowed stay in their communities:
