Seanad debates

Wednesday, 23 June 2004

Photo of Brendan RyanBrendan Ryan (Labour)

A member of Cork City Council who is not a member of my party came across a line of clamped cars recently in an area where signs indicating that there was no parking were not in evidence and where there were no double yellow lines etc. When he volunteered to photograph the clampers while they removed the clamps and innocent citizens paid up, the clampers promptly took off the clamps and absconded without further difficulties. There is a problem with privatised agencies whose sense of what is the way to enforce the law is different from that of the public service. This is becoming a major issue.

Another issue where difficulties are arising relates to the grading of guesthouses. This is now done by a privatised agency. The best guesthouse in the west Kerry Gaeltacht does not have Bord Fáilte approval because the inspector who viewed it took a different view from that of the health board about some facilities. She insisted that her view was superior to that of the health board and, as a result, the owner of the guesthouse stated she would do without Bord Fáilte approval. There is a difficulty with privatised agencies which believe they are above the law and which lack the ethos of the public service.

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