Written answers

Wednesday, 25 January 2006

Department of Transport

Parking Regulations

8:00 pm

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 833: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on changing policy in relation to disabled parking discs in order to include people with an intellectual disability such as people with Down's syndrome and so on as a qualifying category of person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2254/06]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 empower local authorities, the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Disabled Drivers Association, to grant a disabled person's parking permit where they are satisfied that the applicant is suffering from a disability that prevents him or her from walking or causes undue hardship to the person in walking. It is a matter for each of the issuing organisations to determine whether a disabled person's parking permit should be granted based on each application submitted to it.

The qualifying criterion centres on the issue of the mobility impairment of the applicant and no specific medical condition is stipulated in the regulations. I am of the view that the current scheme, based on the personal mobility of the applicant, represents the optimum approach for the issue of these particular parking permits.

My Department is currently engaged in a consultation process with groups representing the interests of disabled persons, who are engaged in the issue of the disabled person's parking permits, the gardaí, local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in relation to the regulatory provisions made under the Road Traffic Acts that relate to the operation of disabled person's parking permits and the use of disabled person's parking bays.

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