Donegal County Council was not ‘fit to control’ campervans, says Cllr

Donegal County Council needs to “figure out a way of clamping down on campervans” for the next summer, and the council was “not fit to control” campervans, according to a duo of Donegal councillors.

Independent councillor, Jimmy Brogan, along with Cllr Michael McMahon, shared their concerns about the usage of campervans at September’s Donegal Municipal District Meeting.

“Campervans are an ongoing issue, all over the summer, not just in Donegal Town, but everywhere else,” said Cllr Brogan. 

“I know you have come up with a code of conduct, but we need to get stronger on this code of conduct to make sure that people are adhering to the rules, because people are blocking access to different areas.

“We need to figure out a way of clamping down next year on campervans, and that there is a stronger code of conduct and keeping rules.”

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Sinn Féin’s Cllr Michael McMahon followed Cllr Brogan, as he mentioned, “the mess that was left behind” by some campervan users. 

The Bundoran-based councillor stated: “I have suggested that we have a meeting with the relevant bodies. We have been talking about this for a number of years, and it is not really working for us. 

“This year was probably one of the toughest years, and we were not fit to control the campervans. 

“What I am asking is that we proceed with that workshop. In Bundoran, we are providing two sites, and on several occasions, it was a quarter full, and the Super Valu carpark was full.   

“We are not refusing people, but it has to be regulated and looked at so everybody is happy about it.”

Garry Martin, Director of Economic Development, Emergency Services and Information Systems, responded to Cllrs Brogan and McMahon, as he commented that the campervan debate was “ a national issue.” 

He said: “At the council, we have adopted a campervan strategy based on what was understood to be the best practice model. It seemed that it worked reasonably well in other countries and here as well, but there is a huge structural issue where they share information on the best viewing points. 

“In the private sector, people are trying to provide these services, and people are not obliged to use them. Part of the big challenge is how to deal with the unregulated guys who just park. 

“We have not found a way to make it mandatory to make it work in practice to police people who have not parked in parks. 

“If you are pushing people out from one area, then they will go to others, so be mindful of that as well.”

In response, Cllr Brogan commented: “The problem is that people are not being told to move on. Garda obviously don’t move them on, so within the parking bylaws, something has to be changed. 

“There has to be something we can do to ask these people nicely to move on. There must be some sort of fine or charge if they refuse to move on.

Area Manager for Road and Transport, Mark Sweeney, at the conclusion of the debate, cautioned that if campervans were “on private property, there is not a lot we can do about it, but it is definitely worth the meeting.”