Council urged to ‘speedily’ deal with illegal parking issues

CLARE County Council officials will meet with gardaí in the coming weeks after local representatives urged them to ensure illegal parking “is speedily dealt with”.

According to a senior council official, the majority of complaints in this area relate to “illegal encampments of Ttravellers on public property, often in scenic areas.”

Ennistymon Area Councillor Richard Nagle raised the issue at a recent adjourned meeting of Clare County Council, where he said there was “an enormous problem in previous years with illegal encampments at our beaches”.

He added that because of co-operation between the local authority and gardaí, there were “no major incidents last year”. Councillor Bill Slattery called on the council to implement the existing laws in relation to this illegal parking.

Ennis Councillor Johnny Flynn criticised the situation where “a group of untouchables in our society” could illegally camp “without due regard for local business people or local people…These people are enjoying all the benefits of this society without the responsibilities”.

Whitegate Councillor Pat Burke said the problem is not confined to beaches in West and North Clare but is also a problem in East Clare, “especially close to Lough Derg”.

Councillor Michael Hillery from Miltown Malbay noted “When these people come into the area like seaside resorts, they cause a lot of grief for the locals and visitors to the resorts”.

Anne Haugh, director of services, transportation, water services and environment section of Clare County Council responded to Councillor Nagle’s motion. “When the council becomes aware of illegal encampments of caravans, the council establishes who the owners or occupiers are and what accommodation is available to them elsewhere. The council also establishes which legislation is applicable. The majority of complaints relate to the illegal encampments of Travellers on public property, often in scenic areas. In these case the council contacts the local garda station advising them of the situation and requesting the removal of the caravans under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002. The council also forwards a written statement to the local garda station.

“The council have completed works to prevent illegal parking in a number of prominent scenic areas where concentrations of illegally parked caravans and camper vans have occurred in the past,” Ms Haugh added.

Ennis Councillor Tommy Brennan called for the motion to be amended to include all 12 months, which was adopted. Green Party Councillor Brian Meaney agreed with the amendment and enquired about the cost of “constant legal actions”.

Director of services in the council’s housing section, Bernadette Kinsella, said the approximate cost of each injunction in relation to illegal parking is in the region of €20,000. She said there had been two this year already.

Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald said the issue went beyond illegal parking by Travellers extending to people parking their cars in such a way as to block emergency access. “It seems to happen at bank holiday weekends on the Friday evening because they know they cannot be moved until Tuesday,” he commented, adding “Something needs to be done if people arrive on a Friday because they are there for four days”.

Shannon Councillor Patricia McCarthy pointed out people are parking illegally in disabled parking bays and that this is “a serious problem…many people are abusing them.”