Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 3

Written Answers. - Parking Regulations.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

339 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government whether he is proposing to restrict the use of special parking concessions for the guardians for persons with a disability in a way that they will only be able to use the concession when the disabled person is in the car with them; and his views on whether such restrictions would be unduly onerous on families who carry a very significant burden often with very little recognition or support from the State. [22840/98]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

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

Under this provision, which was adopted following consultation with representative organisations for the disabled, a vehicle in which the permit is displayed may be parked in disabled persons parking bays and is exempt from certain parking restrictions. The facilities associated with the permit only apply where a vehicle is being parked for the convenience of the person to whom the permit was granted.