Calls for free parking rejected
CLLR Rory O’Connor has called for free parking for healthcare workers for the duration of the pandemic.
He said in a notice of motion, that this would include the display of appropriate identification on the dashboard.
The response from officials was that there is a free car park at Ravenswell Road seven days a week.
‘I’m disappointed in the response,’ said Cllr O’Connor. ‘ That’s obviously very limited in that those spaces get taken early in the morning.’
He said that it would be a small way to say thank you. District manager Lorraine Gallagher said that she had spoken to the head of finance who said that the best thing to do would be refer it to the law department of Wicklow County Council as there are bye laws in place.
He also said that they would have to look at income loss and offset that against other spends, as income is at crisis point.
Cllr O’Connor said that it had been done in Dublin and their model could be cloned. ‘It won’t affect income overall,’ he said. ‘ They deserve it at the end of the day.’
Cllr Joe Behan said that instead of clapping for carers, this is an actual practical support. ‘ The government is supposed to be replacing lost funding,’ he said.
He said that in the former location of the present chief executive, Carrick on Shannon, there is free parking for anyone.
‘We decide the bye laws,’ said Cllr Behan. ‘ This is delegated to us and nothing to do with Wicklow. We could decide if we wanted to have free parking everywhere. I don’t think it should be referred to a law agent or finance officer. ‘I think it’s a great idea,’ said Cllr Behan. Administrative officer Triona Irving said that the district administrator had said that if the council was advising people to put there identification on show in cars, it could indicate they were away from them for a long period and could result in vandalism.
Cllr O’Connor disagreed and said people
wouldn’t necessarily be gone from their cars for long periods.
‘I love the idea, I think it’s excellent,’ said Cllr Flynn Kennedy.
‘We have a huge population of people in the healthcare sector,’ she said. ‘My only question is how to identify all those workers and how far do we extend it?#
District manger Lorraine Gallagher said that the council had recently lit up the building in honour of emergency workers and healthcare workers.
‘ They have done fantastic work,’ she said. She added that there are people who have been working in essential services which are not healthcare.
Cllr Flynn Kennedy asked for more information for the next meeting on how such a scheme would work. Cllr O’Connor said that he will write to Dublin.