asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he is aware of the great hardship being experienced by legitimate traders in the Darndale shopping centre; if he is further aware of illegal trading which has been carried on there for the last seven or eight years which has not been dealt with effectively by the authorities thus far; and if he will ensure that the law is implemented in this case and that prosecutions will follow if such are deemed appropriate.
Written Answers. - Designation of Casual Trading Areas.
40.
The Casual Trading Act, 1980, empowers local authorities to designate the places in 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.
As I am informed that Dublin County Council have only recently designated casual trading areas, it is not clear how illegal trading in the sense of the Casual Trading Act, 1980, could have been carried on in the Darndale area for the past seven or eight years. I understand, however, that the council have made investigations in relation to trading at Darndale, which is not among the areas designated, and that the council are considering what action to take to secure compliance with the law. I am satisfied that Dublin County Council have all the powers they need to deal with whatever problems exist.