Parking Regulations.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005

Wednesday, 26 January 2005

Ceisteanna (499)

Brian O'Shea

Ceist:

563 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Transport further to Question No. 319 of 17 November 2004, his legislative proposals to amend the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 for families of persons with an intellectual disability or with children or adult dependents who have mobility problems or whose behaviour in such that it is impossible for them to use public transport or walk for any distances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34205/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen)

As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 319 on 17 November last, the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 empower local authorities, the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Disabled Drivers Association to grant a disabled person's parking permit where they are satisfied that the applicant is suffering from a disability that prevents him or her from walking or causes undue hardship to that person when walking. The qualifying criterion is therefore a question of personal mobility and no specific medical condition is stipulated in the regulations. I am of the view that the current broad basis of this scheme represents the optimum approach and I see no gain in limiting its scope to particular medical conditions.