Request made for ‘extensive review’ of disabled bays in west Donegal
The review was called for after a parent described their ‘struggle’ having only one disabled parking space on Ardara’s Main Street
Councillor Brian Carr has requested an extensive review of disabled parking bays within the Glenties Municipal District.
The Sinn Féin councillor brought the motion to the November meeting, having received a letter regarding disabled accessibility in Ardara, where there is only one disabled parking bay on the Main Street.
A parent of a wheelchair user expressed frustration at the lack of bays in the town. The letter described how the mother and son have no choice but to park on the other side of the road. It also described how they “struggle” and that “our dignity is gone”, expressing the “anger” felt as they cannot go into the town alone.
The letter described how the mother and son have no choice but to park on the other side of the road. It also described how they “struggle” and that “our dignity is gone”, expressing the “anger” felt as they cannot go into the town alone.
Cllr Carr called for two more bays to be situated beside the hotel and doctors' surgery. He further highlighted that the lines on bays in Narin, Glenties and Ardara have faded.
Brendan McFadden, Area Manager for Roads and Transportation, stated that works are ongoing to enhance the bays through repainting.
Additionally, all bays were surveyed last year, and any that need refreshing will be done in the coming weeks.
In relation to Ardara, Mr McFadden said: “Sometimes main streets do not lend themselves well to disabled bays, and it can also create a hazard. The spaces need to be larger, but we will certainly take a look into this.”
Cllr Carr referenced Cllr Fionán Bradley’s motion at the July Plenary meeting of Donegal County Council, where he requested that the council review disabled parking bays due to a space issue. Furthermore, Cllr Bradley highlighted the need for age- and autism-friendly parking spaces.
Disabled parking spaces are designed to be wider and located near entrances to facilitate wheelchair and vehicle ramp access. They have clear legal backing, enabling consistent enforcement and public recognition. However, both age- and autism-friendly parking lack legal enforcement under Irish law and rely on voluntary compliance from the public.
Cllr Carr stated that the disabled bays need to be reviewed and then “we can look at age- and autism-friendly parking.”