Judge critical of Council parking ticket procedure

DISTRICT Court Judge Kevin Kilrane has called on the Borough Council to change the way it issues its parking summonses saying they were being sent out too late after the date of the alleged offence.

He asked the council’s solicitor, Mr Donncha Anhold the reason for the delay in the issuing of the summons.

The Judge noted that in one case before him the date of the alleged offence was January 3rd 2017 but the summons wasn’t issued until June 1st with the date for the endorsement of service, December 15 th.

“Why the delay in issuing the summons and making the return date to today for the first time?” Judge Kilrane asked.

Mr Anhold said a number of warning notices would issue after the date of the offence.

He could not say if any were issued after the summons was served.

Judge Kilrane described the process as bad practice.

“People do forget and that practice should be discontinued,” he said. He adjourned two cases where summonses were issued six months after the alleged offence.