asked the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he intends to introduce legislation to control travelling chip vans and food shops which are operating regularly on a daily and nightly basis in Dublin.
Written Answers. - Travelling Shops.
454.
I assume the Deputy's question relates to chip vans and food shops operating on roads and in other public places.
The Casual Trading Act, 1980 requires that such persons may not engage in casual trading unless they hold a current casual trading licence. The Act also empowers local authorities to designate the places of their functional areas where casual trading may be carried on and, when they have designated casual trading areas, it is an offence to engage in casual trading elsewhere. In addition to confining traders to specified places, local authorities can regulate such trading by means of by-laws, which the authorities are empowered to make, and conditions attached to casual trading permits granted by the local authorities to casual traders.
Severe penalties are provided for contraventions of the Act which is enforced by the Garda and local authority officers. If the Deputy is aware of any possible breaches, he should advise the appropriate authority.
I am satisfied that the Act gives local authorities all the powers they need to determine the places where mobile food vans may trade and otherwise regulate them so as to eliminate any traffic, environmental and other problems associated with such trade.