John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is possible to apply council parking charges to existing out-of-town retail developments as proposed in the document (details supplied); his policy Smarter Travel, A Sustainable Transport Future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5792/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The setting of parking charges on public roads and in local authority owned car parks is a matter for the relevant local authority and I have no function in this matter.  Nor do I have any function in the setting of parking charges in privately owned car parks.

Smarter Travel, A Sustainable Transport Future includes as a recommended action, the consideration of parking charges in shopping centres under the Planning Guidelines.  This recommendation was reflected in the Retail Planning Guidelines which were published by my colleague the Minster for Environment, Community and Local Government in 2012.  The relevant section sets out the role of planning authorities as follows: Section 5.2 'Planning Authorities may also wish to consider as part of an overall approach to supporting their city and town centres, related issues of, for example, tailoring the contribution scheme to encourage retail development into the appropriate locations, having compatible traffic management and car parking measures to encourage city and town centre usage.'