Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

In principle, I welcome the idea of greater deterrents for those who park in spaces designated for disabled drivers. In an earlier debate, I raised this matter with the former Minister for Transport. It might be better to impose penalty points for such an offence, rather than the extension to which I referred a few moments ago.

It is outrageous for people to continue to use parking spaces designated for use by disabled drivers, some of whom have severe handicaps. It is to their credit that some disabled people can continue to drive despite particularly difficult personal circumstances. The personal use of a car allows them to remain mobile, albeit with great difficulty.

They may find, however, that parking spaces designated for their use are being taken by other drivers in shopping centre car parks or on streets. Those parking spaces are thus designated for a good reason, yet some thoughtless, heartless individuals are using them. Such designated parking areas are not just taken up by people who have failed to recognise the disability symbol but by drivers who have made a conscious decision to do so because the space is available. It is an outrageous situation. People who are pulled up for this offence regularly explain that they were only going to park there for a couple of minutes to buy a newspaper or a pint of milk. That excuse is not good enough, however, because one finds that designated parking spaces are continuously filled by such people dropping in for a few minutes here and there. Perhaps this provision needs to be inserted in some other legislation. The Minister of State should consider the matter seriously. It is a significant problem for many people, especially because there is increasingly less parking available in villages, towns and shopping centres. There is no penalty we could put in place that would be considered too mild for those disingenuous people who continue to behave in this manner.