Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider devolving powers to local authorities to make by-laws to enable partial footpath parking in limited circumstances that would take into account specific criteria such as ensuring that one side of the road path was left free, ensuring that paths that were made available to residents only with no other local option available, and ensuring that all other parking options have been exhausted before enabling any such by-laws; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8560/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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There is a substantial history of correspondence on this matter between my Department and Dublin City Council in particular, going back well before my own time as Minister, and I have myself considered this question and corresponded with that Council on the issue. As I have indicated in my correspondence with the Council, I am satisfied that the arguments for revising the regulations to permit partial parking are outweighed by the arguments in favour of retaining the current regulations.

The implementation of footpath parking would require a detailed examination in each individual case, and the number of locations which would satisfy the criteria addressed would most likely be fairly limited. The crucial point is that footpaths are provided for the safety of pedestrians and to segregate, by kerb, vulnerable road users from passing or parking traffic on the roadway. Safety must be the number one concern in any consideration of traffic and parking regulations, and pedestrians are innately vulnerable road users. There is also the consideration that footpaths are not constructed to the same specifications as roads and are not built to bear the weight of vehicles. I appreciate that the Deputy is suggesting a very limited and circumscribed application of partial parking, but I believe that the considerations I have set out still apply, and a very restricted application of partial parking might in fact promote confusion on the part of road users.

It remains a matter for local authorities to apply whichever of the legally permitted range of parking arrangements they consider most appropriate on any given street. For my part, as the Minister responsible for making the regulations which provide them with that range of options, I am satisfied that changes to allow for partial parking on pavements would entail significant risk for minimal benefit.