Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Can I comment on that for one second as well? I reiterate the thanks we all have for the work that they do.

On a daily basis, I see gardaí walking by cars that are parked in cycle lanes and on footpaths. I had an interaction with a garda recently whereby a car was parked on a cycle lane and had two of its wheels on a kerb. I said to the garda, “Is that illegal and can you prosecute it?” I will not relay the conversation that unfolded because I do not think that he is representative of An Garda Síochána. However, An Garda Síochána talks about behavioural change. People need to see a zero-tolerance out there for what are perceived as minor parking infringements that create safety hazards for people. It is unacceptable. We are moving more to a society of active travel. We are spending a lot of money on active travel. We are spending a lot of money on trying to encourage people to walk, to cycle to school, on safe routes to school and cycleways.

We need to shift the balance and stop this allowance of bad driving behaviour. Drivers park on the path so as to keep the road free. They are imposing on the most vulnerable people - children, elderly people walking on the footpath, wheelchair users - because they want to keep the carriageway free for cars. A whole shift in perception is required to shift the balance back away from car dominance.