asked the Minister for Local Government what steps his Department are taking to ensure the speedy removal of adandoned wrecks of motor vehicles which are left in public spaces.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Abandoned Cars.
65.
The Road Traffic (Removal, Storage and Disposal of Vehicles) Regulations 1971, empower a road authority to remove, store and dispose of a vehicle or part of a vehicle abandoned on a public road or in a public car park. These regulations would enable vehicle wrecks to be removed from a public road or public car park. Implementation of the regulations is the responsibility of the Garda Sochána and/or the local authority, as may be appropriate in particular instances.
As regards abandoned wrecks of motor vehicles which are left in public spaces, which are not roads or car parks, it is open to the authority or person responsible for the public space to deal with the wrecks. Also, the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963, enables the planning authority or the Garda to prosecute persons creating "litter" by dumping such items.
Is the Minister aware that this practice is on the increase in the Dublin area? Instead of selling a car now the owner drives it up some laneway or road and leaves it where it constitutes a danger to children in the area. I refer in particular to the Ballymun area where there are numerous wrecks lying around the place for months on end and children have suffered injuries time and time again. Petrol is left in the tanks of some of these vehicles.
Is the Minister aware that on the road from Galway to Headford there are thousands of old wrecks? Surely he travels along that road? Is the law being ignored? I agree with Deputy Byrne that something will have to be done about this.
The law is adequate to cater for the situation. It is a matter of enforcement. I would be very anxious to discourage this type of activity as much as possible. It is a most unpleasant practice, especially in housing areas where children can be injured by playing with these old wrecks.
Could the Minister advise us as to how we could get the law enforced?
The Deputy can report the matter to the Gardaí or, if it is a public road, to the local authority.
They can take action?
They can enforce the law. In many cases, of course, these vehicles contravene the bye-laws in relation to parking.