asked the Minister for Local Government whether, in view of the vast increase in the number of cars in Dublin, urgent steps will be taken to improve and control car parking facilities in the city, including the provision of additional parking sites and the installation of parking meters.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Parking Facilities.
14.
The adequacy, and the control of off-street parking facilities in Dublin city is a matter for Dublin Corporation to consider. The use of parking meters to control kerbside parking can be effected only by bye-laws made by the Commissioner of the Garda, after consultation with the corporation and with my consent. However, I have directed my Department to take a special interest in the Dublin traffic problem and am satisfied that the authorities concerned are taking such steps as are feasible at the moment in order to deal with the problem.
The parking problem is only part of the general traffic problem, and it would be as pointless to provide parking space for a volume of traffic which the streets could not take as it would be to provide a street system to move a quantity of vehicles for which parking was not available. As to the measures being taken to deal with the general traffic problem, I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a question of his on 22nd February.
Is the Minister aware that large numbers of people come to town and park their cars in the one-hour parking spaces? Will he not agree that, if there were parking meters, they would eliminate a lot of unnecessary long parking?
Trying to get at the poor farmers again.
As I said, this can be effected only by bye-laws which have to be made by the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána after consultation with the corporation and with my consent so that, in other words, this is a matter initially for the corporation and the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána.