Clare residents up in arms over parking problems as they miss out on grants

Residents in Ennis are facing significant off-street parking challenges, with many unable to access grants for electric vehicle (EV) chargers due to the lack of private parking spaces, while the growing issue of damage and vandalism from parking on footpaths has also raised concerns.

The issue was highlighted by Cllr Colleran Molloy at the October meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, where she called on the Council to coordinate with the relevant departments to address the difficulties outlined in a letter from a local resident.

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The letter read: “Most houses in Clonroad were built in the late 1940s-early 1950s when very few people actually  owned cars and as result some houses including my own do not have off street parking.

"This is a major  issue for some residents resulting in cars being parked on footpaths. Without off street parking  residents' cars can be subject to damage from passing cars and to vandalism."

"The Sustainable Energy  Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant for a home EV charger requires off-street parking at the property. The  grant specifically mandates that the electric vehicle be parked on a private driveway or parking area  associated with the home, and the charger must be connected to the home.” 

Seán Lenihan, Senior Engineer, acknowledged how there is "no one size solution" to issues outlined in the letter to the EMD.

He explained: "Similar to many other urban streetscapes, it is accepted that a number of the houses along Clonroad, are impacted by not having sufficient or any off-road parking for its residents and one of the downsides of this is as stated in the motion, that the houses may not be eligible for SEAI grants for EV charging  on their property."

This is as to qualify for the SEAI home charger grant in Ireland, applicants must have off-street parking and ensure the charger is connected to their home's electricity supply.

As well as this the installation must be carried out by a Safe Electric Ireland-registered electrician, and a Letter of Offer from SEAI must be obtained before any work begins.

The property must not have previously received a home charger grant or benefited from the free ESB Ecars charger pre-2018, grant applicants are not required to own the property, or have an electric vehicle, however people renting their property must have landlord permission, and the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) from the electricity bill is required.

Lenihan also addressed the issue of residents parking on footpaths, he advised that "parking on a footpath is illegal and while it may solve one problem, it creates significant accessibility issues for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and parents with buggies."

He explained that "where suitable public offroad parking exists, nearby residents can be provided with permits in certain cases under the Parking Byelaws, but not always.

"Alternatively, there are certain private carpark operators the may be agreeable to renting or leasing parking spaces on a long-term basis to nearby residents without private parking, but again, this may not always be possible or suitable and/or available."