Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before the debate adjourned I spoke about my key view that, in welcoming the Bill, I support the concept that the final decision making on the introduction of speed limits for an area should be vested in the members of the local authority. It is devolving decision making down to the level which is most accurate and beneficial for making such a decision. There is an aspect to the introduction of a 20 kp/h speed limit in residential areas which we could explore. I do not know if it is possible but I would certainly recommend it. There are a number of problems with parking in residential areas, including long-term, persistent or illegal parking near to junctions and corners of roads. It is an incredible contributing factor, particularly to accidents involving young children, when vehicles are parked in that way. When children are emerging from their houses or drives, be they walking, on bicycles or whatever, there is the potential for them to emerge directly out into the line of the car. Slowing the speed of cars is a welcome contribution, but in areas which have been designated as 20 kp/h areas we should consider introducing additional controls to address that issue. I am not advocating for a curtailment of people's right to park outside their house - everybody has that right - but with regard to parking that is deliberately done in an illegal way, such as on a bend or at the entrance to an estate. If it is a 20 kp/h area, we are recognising that it is a high risk area which deserves special attention so we should examine vehicle parking in the area.

The other aspect to that, in the context of fixed notices being issued, is the placing of notices on such vehicles in a way that is visible and acts as a deterrent. It is something the Garda has not been doing for many years so even when people are persistently breaking the law, others driving by do not see that what is taking place has a cost to it and that a fine is being issued. If we are trying to adjust people's behaviour and the manner in which they break the law by parking illegally, a visible deterrent by means of a notice attached to a vehicle works extremely well. I conclude with that point.

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