'Downings is a victim of its own success'

Cllr Declan Meehan put forward the motion asking that the Donegal County Council urgently identify and obtain land to begin development of a car park in Downings.

“I think we’re all aware of the congestion, and the sheer numbers of visitors that come to Downings, particularly over the busy summer months and bank holiday weekends,” Cllr Meehan said. “There are serious issues in the town itself, not just in relation to parking, which will only get worse when the work on the new public amenities commences.

“The beach itself often acts as a car park, which in my opinion is an unsustainable long-term solution for the issue. It contributes massively to an awful lot of hassle, and infringement upon private property owners throughout the town and business owners as well.

“We see cars parked in areas which are obstructive to the Mulroy Coast Guard and other emergency services based at the pier, and it all comes back to the same issue that there is a serious lack of public parking available in the town.

“The impact of the lack of parking has gotten worse over this past summer, and I think it's imperative that we work with the town team… the issue can only be resolved through the acquisition of land in the town.”

Cllr Meehan, independent, asked for the land acquisition process to be commenced immediately, beginning with an expression of interest process; however, he shared that the response he received from the council road and transportation section stated that there is no funding available for the construction of a car park in the area.

“The Roads and Transportation section is not in the position to acquire land for the development of a car park until suitable funding sources have been identified.” Cllr Meehan said.

The Roads section’s response stated it will liaise with other directorates within Donegal County Council to explore funding opportunities.

“This is not a new problem by any means; it’s an issue affecting the town for years, if not decades, and it deserves urgency and attention from the roads and transportation section, and all of the directorates that are relevant in order to find a solution and find a funding source,” Cllr Meehan said. “Downings is a victim of its own success.

“It’s an incredibly popular seaside village; it has beautiful beaches, great amenities, excellent local businesses that provide employment for the people living locally… It’s a great visitor spot, and the council should assist in the further development by tackling this issue of car parking.”

Cllr Meehan expressed that he wants to see a plan put in place to secure the funding to address the issue, fearing that next summer will bring the same problems to the town as this year did.

This summer saw reports of littering, illegal parking, and Gardaí having to restrict access to the beach for public safety reasons and to allow appropriate access for emergency service vehicles.’