Residents Only Parking for Croke Park Residents - Residents Must Not be Penalised

13 October 2007

by Cllr Joe Costello

The Minister for Transport finally acceded to the wishes of the residents and to our requests to introduce provision for Residents Only Parking. Joe Costello TD raised this matter on many occasions in both Dail Debates and Parliamentary Questions.

As a result the Roads Bill 2007 included provision for residents only parking during certain named events in Croke Park.

To implement the legislation Dublin City Council must draw up new bye-laws for major events in Croke Park. In a recent report presented to City Councillors, the Manager proposed that the residents should be obliged to pay the cost of implementation of the bye-laws.

At the October City Council meeting Cllr Emer Costello welcomed the decision by Dublin City Council to draft new bye-laws for residents only parking for events in Croke Park but objected strongly to the manager's proposal that residents should pay for their implementation.

Labour Party representatives have constantly highlighted the plight of the residents in the vicinity of Croke Park. The residents are not responsible for the traffic mayhem that besieges their community every time there is a match or event in Croke Park. It is therefore completely unacceptable to us that the residents would be forced to pay for the long-overdue measure of introducing residents only parking.

We believe that the City Council should look to the event organisers who profit hugely from the events in Croke Park to pay for the cost of implementation rather than the hard-pressed residents.

The draft bye-laws are due to be presented to the Traffic SPC and to then to December City Council meeting. If approved by the City Council in December they will be put to public consultation and submissions will invited from the public. The City Council will consider the public submissions and may propose amendments accordingly before adopting the bye-laws.

We will keep you informed of developments and ensure that you have ample opportunity to make your views known on the Dublin City Council's Bye-Law proposals.