Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 2

Written Answers. - Parking Permits for the Disabled.

Alan Shatter

Question:

191 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will make provision for the disabled persons parking card to be in force for a period of longer duration than two years; the consideration, if any, given by him to date to extend these cards to a life span of between five and ten years; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that unnecessary expense is incurred by people suffering from permanent disability in having to make application for these cards every two years; and his views on whether this unnecessary expense should be avoided. [5596/00]

The Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations, 1997, empower local authorities, the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Disabled Drivers Association, to grant disabled person's parking permits to a disabled person who is suffering from a disability that prevents that person from walking or causes undue hardship to the person in walking.

The regulations provide that a permit shall be valid for two years from the date of its issue. This period reflects the fact that in many instances disabilities which give rise to the grant of permits may be transient in nature.

While my Department is not aware of any specific difficulties which are associated with the renewal of permits or of hardship caused by the period of validity, these issues will be raised with the various agencies who administer the scheme.

Top
Share