Areas with most fines for footpath parking in Dublin revealed
The figures were released in response to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly, and shows the number of fines across the six garda divisions in Dublin from January to June this year.
The second highest number of fines (182) was recorded in the North Central division, which covers Drumcondra and Glasnevin, followed by South Central (168), which takes in Rathmines and Harold's Cross.
The Western division, covering Tallaght and surrounding suburbs, recorded 147 fines, while the Southern division, which encompasses Dundrum and Rathfarnham, recorded 95.
Notably, the Eastern division, which covers the city centre and docklands, had significantly fewer fines, with just 67 issued.
This suggests that illegal footpath parking is more widespread outside of the city core itself.
Parking on footpaths blocks pedestrians, including vulnerable groups such as wheelchair users and parents with prams, and disrupts bus routes and emergency services.
Cyclists also face increased danger when cycle lanes are blocked, forcing them into traffic.
The issue recently gained fresh attention after community group I Bike Dublin painted fake parking spaces on footpaths along Phibsboro Road.
The group used non-permanent materials to highlight the extent of illegal parking, criticising the lack of consistent enforcement and calling for the return of parking wardens across the city.
ADVERTISEMENT
A spokesperson for the group said such illegal parking is a 'continuous daily occurrence' in the area, and the lack of enforcement shows a 'clear neglect of public space management'.
'Illegal parking isn't just an inconvenience; it's a misuse of public space that affects everyone, from pedestrians to buses,' they said.
'It's not just about a single-file walk or a blocked driveway; it's about creating a traffic choke point that impacts the entire community.
'The real issue isn't just a car parked in the wrong place, it's the systemic failure to enforce rules and address the problem effectively.
'What gets attention isn't the ongoing problem, but the visible action taken to highlight the issue, such as paint on the ground.
'It's not about punishing drivers; it's about maintaining the integrity of public spaces and ensuring everyone can use them safely.
'The problem with illegal parking isn't just that it's illegal; it's that it disrupts the flow of daily life and services, from pedestrians to buses,' they added.
An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority have reminded drivers that parking on footpaths and cycle lanes is both illegal and unsafe.
Offenders can face fines ranging from €60 to €120, with serious violations attracting up to five penalty points.
The highest number of fines recorded across the country so far this year, was in Limerick, where 354 fixed penalty notices were issued.
Dublin City Council, The Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána have been contacted for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Garda warns of serious flaw in car chase policy as 'no drivers' trained in pursuit skills
THERE IS A serious flaw in the new garda pursuit policy as no garda is specifically trained to chase fleeing criminals in cars, a garda representative has claimed. Mark Ferris, who is a detective garda and an official with the Garda Representative Association (GRA), has gone public with serious concerns around the strategy used by An Garda Síochána to pursue vehicles. Ferris, writing in the latest quarterly Emergency Services Ireland magazine , has outlined that there is a gap in garda training. The detective said that gardaí are trained to respond rapidly to calls, known as response driving, but they are not specifically trained to deal with the rigours and danger of a pursuit. Since 2019 gardaí who are permitted to drive patrol cars have been trained and cleared through a qualifications known as Competency Based Driving (CBD). CBD One allows them drive but not respond on lights and sirens – CBD Two allows them to drive with the lights and sirens. Gap in training What Ferris has identified is a gap in training that while some members are qualified to drive fast and rapidly through traffic they are not trained in the specific skillset needed to manage a pursuit. 'There is no member of An Garda Siochana trained and appropriately authorised in pursuit driving which renders the policy inoperable. 'Competency Based Driving 2 (CBD2) drivers (which make up the vast majority of response drivers) are not trained in any element of pursuit. 'Response driver training, as governed by the Emergency Services Driving Standard (ESDS) in An Garda Síochána, is frequently conflated with pursuit driving, highlighting a misalignment between organisational policy, operational implementation and public messaging. 'Driving to an emergency situation such as an armed robbery in progress with blue lights and sirens on is not, and should not, be confused with pursuit driving,' he said. Ferris has outlined the differences between response driving and pursuit driving. 'While pursuit driving requires active evasion and awareness of a driver's refusal to stop it also requires a level of competence to engage, while response driving is a distinct driving activity that allows trained members, for example under CBD2, to exceed normal driving standards when responding to emergency incidents. 'These fundamental differences highlight how the two activities should never be confused or conflated,' he said. Ferris said the College of Policing (the UK police training centre) has advised that non-pursuit trained drivers must not continue pursuits. Advertisement 'On closer view, the entire CBD driver training model also has no element of pursuit driving incorporated across any of its facets. Tactical vehicle containment or the use of vehicle stopping devices do not constitute pursuit driving techniques or the required level of competence with which to engage in pursuit driving,' he added. Ferris said Britain's College of Policing's pursuit framework 'explicitly stipulates' that all personnel involved in pursuit management, including control room staff, tactical advisors, and drivers, MUST undergo standardised training. The detective garda said this is not an advisory comment in Britain but is a 'foundational governance requirement' for lawful pursuits in the UK. Ferris said that the garda policy directive must be invalidated to prevent unacceptable risks to members of the public, gardaí and the organisation. A garda car at the scene of an incident in County Galway. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The garda response Speaking at the Oireachtas Justice Committee in June , Commissioner Drew Harris addressed the issue of training but said that a policy had been implemented to manage pursuits. 'There is more training that needs to be done in respect of pre-planned pursuit. If there is a spontaneous pursuit, the obligation on the garda member is to report what is happening to control. 'A risk assessment is then conducted by qualified individuals in the control room. There is no blanket policy against pursuit. What we have put in place is a policy to empower and enable but there is specific training required,' he said. A garda spokesman said the force introduced a 'spontaneous pursuit' policy in December 2024 following consultation with the garda representative associations. 'Where feasible, the first priority should be to prevent a pursuit from taking place,' the spokesman said. The garda statement said that the decision to engage in a pursuit must be done in the interests of public safety, to prevent crime and to apprehend offender. 'A key consideration is to ask if the pursuit is necessary and balanced against threat, risk and harm for which the subject driver is being/about to be pursued,' he said. The garda spokesman said that gardaí must comply with 'fundamental principles, of legality, necessity, proportionality and accountability' as well as in keeping with international human right laws. The spokesman said that An Garda Síochána has previously been subject of 'adverse criticism' that the previous pursuit policy was too restrictive. The spokesman said current documents provide guidance to gardaí in the use of pursuit tactics and pursuit management in order to reduce the risk, rather than 'a prescriptive process'. It is understood that the policy does not specifically require pursuits to be halted in the absence of either a pursuit trained driver or a serious incident dispatcher. The garda statement did not specifically address the training standards. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
13 hours ago
- The Journal
Silent vigil held outside Justice Department following assault of Indian man in Tallaght
OVER 100 MEMBERS of the Indian community in Ireland held a silent vigil outside the Department of Justice this afternoon after an Indian man was assaulted in Tallaght last weekend. Last Saturday evening, a man in his 40s was assaulted by a group of youths in the Parkhill Road area of Kilnamanagh in south-west Dublin after being falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour. The man was stripped of his pants and underwear by the gang during the vicious attack. Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the assault to come forward. People Before Profit's Paul Murphy said the assault appeared to be the latest in a 'series of recent racially motivated attacks by a gang' in the area. 'The racist groups and individuals who spread their hate bear a heavy responsibility for this and for racist attacks elsewhere' said Murphy. 'Their lies and hate create the atmosphere in which these attacks take place.' This afternoon at 3pm, Friends of India, Ireland held a 40-minute silent vigil in front of the Department of Justice in solidarity with the victim of the recent violent attack in Tallaght. The organisers said it was also a 'collective call for justice, unity, and action against hate crimes'. Labour TD Ciarán Ahern was at the silent vigil and said 'proud to stand in solidarity with members of our Indian community'. Advertisement He added: 'We will not stand for this. We will not allow our communities to become places of fear and hate.' Proud to stand in solidarity with members of our Indian community today🇮🇪🇮🇳 An Indian man was viciously attacked in Tallaght in an appalling unprovoked racist attack last weekend We will not stand for this. We will not allow our communities to become places of fear & hate❤️ — Ciarán Ahern TD (@ciaranahern) July 25, 2025 Speaking to RTÉ at the vigil, Shashank Chakerwart said last weekend's assault 'isn't an isolated incident'. 'As a community, it is important for us to come together and simply protect the dignity of that human being who was stripped naked, who had to walk around the street. You don't want that on Irish streets,' he said. 'It most certainly isn't an isolated incident, because so many migrant communities have been impacted by these violent teenage gangs,' he added. An anti-racism demonstration was also held in Tallaght this evening at 6.30pm in response to last weekend's attack. Anti-racism demonstration in Tallaght this evening People Before Profit People Before Profit Speaking ahead of this demonstration, People Before Profit Councillor for Tallaght South Kay Keane remarked that the area is in 'shock since we learned of the appalling attack'. 'We will not stand by and let this go unchallenged, so Tallaght is coming together to reject the attackers and their hate,' Keane added. Fellow People Before Profit Councillor Darragh Adelaide added: 'The racist groups who spread their hate bear responsibility for this and for other racist attacks. 'It's the far right's lies and hate that create the atmosphere in which these attacks take place. 'They bear a very heavy responsibility for what happened on Saturday and in other racially motivated attacks'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
15 hours ago
- The Journal
Man arrested after ecstasy tablets worth €235,000 seized in Co Monaghan
A MAN IN his 20s has been arrested after ecstasy tablets worth €235,000 were seized in Co Monaghan. The seizure was the result of a targeted joint operation involving An Garda Síochána and Revenue's Customs Service. In the course of the joint operation, a residential property in Monaghan was searched today. Advertisement This led to MDMA (ecstasy) tablets with an estimated street value of €235,000 being seized. The drugs seized will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and is currently being detained at a station in the Garda North Western Region. A garda spokesperson said investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, a Revenue spokesperson said that if businesses or members of the public have any information, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
