Parking Bye-Laws are fine in Dundalk
COUNCIL officials are confident that the parking bye-laws in Dundalk are not a problem, after it emerged that pay parking is being suspended in Drogheda for three months following a legal challenge.
Councillors were told at last week’s meeting of the Dundalk Municipal District Committee that legal advice had been sought regarding the bye-laws in Dundalk and there was nothing wrong with them.
However, a number of councillors highlighted the fact that the suspension of pay parking charges in Drogheda will result in €300,000 being lost to Louth County Council’s budget and wanted to know how the shortfall will be made up.’
‘ The pay parking crisis in Drogheda is going to cost Louth County Council €300,000 which is a significant amount of money,’ observed Cllr Maria Doyle. She said they had been told that in essence this shortfall had been ‘ found’ within the council’s finances and she wanted more details about this.
She also sought assurances that the bye-laws in Dundalk would stand up to a legal query.
‘Where is the €300,000 going to come from?’ she asked.
Cllr Mark Dearey took the view that the issue would have to be debated by all the members of the local authority.
He didn’t see how they could subsidise such a large sum without it impacting across the whole county and took the view that a supplementary budget would be required.
Cllr Tomas Sharkey also expressed concern about the development.
He remarked ‘ the Chief Executive tells us she has a plan up her sleeve for the €300,000’ and noted that they were told at budget meetings that they would have to make savings if they wanted to fund a project and he would expect the same from the Chief Executive.
It was now emerging that the decision made in 2002 by Drogheda Borough Coun- cil was not water tight and he hoped that lessons would be learned and that councillors as public representatives would be given all the information they need to make decisions. ‘We need the facts, we need the data and material’.
He argued that councillors still had to be provided with the information regarding the criteria for housing allocations and this needed to be done so that they can make informed decisions.
Director of Service Mr Frank Pentony said they did seek legal advice regarding the bye-laws in Dundalk and had been told there was nothing wrong with them.
‘ The legal advice is that the Dundalk bye-laws are fine.’