Council closes car parks at tourist hotspots
WEXFORD County Council moved swiftly in advance of the Easter weekend to close the most popular seaside and harbour car parks under its control, out of concern about continuing infringements of the Covid-19 regulations.
The council said the decision followed consulations between the local authority and An Garda Síochána. It coincided with mounting concern in local seaside and harbour locations about an influx of visitors who own and rent holiday homes in the county.
Numbers of people from outside the county began to arrive despite government pleas and garda warnings nationally for people not to travel to other areas and to remain at home, to comply with physical distancing and the 2km excerising limit under Covid-19 restrictions.
While all hotels and guesthouses are closed, supermarkets and other retail outlets remain open and people were concerned about the risk of a large influx of weekend visitors leading to community transmission of the coronavirus.
The council action closed the following beach car parks: Ballymoney; Courtown Leisure Centre car park; Cahore; Old Bawn;
Morriscastle; Ballinesker; Curracloe ( White Gap); Culleton’s Gap; St Helen’s; Carne beach, the Burrow Rosslare Strand and Kilmore Quay car parks.
The car park at Ferrybank Swimming Pool and the road to Ferrybank Quay car park in Wexford town were also closed.
The main car park beside the beach in Rosslare Strand was not closed as it also services the village itself and local shops.
An Garda Síochána warned that they would be carrying out strict enforcement in relation to parking and non-compliances.
In a statement, Wexford County Council said it very much regretted the necessity of the measures but the local authority had to act in the interest of public health, due to gathering crowds and infringements of phsical distancing requirements.
It promised that the situation would be kept under review.