Kerry councillor calls for expansion of age friendly parking in nod to elderly people’s ‘vital’ part of communities

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

A Kerry councillor has called for the expansion of an accessible car parking initiative for elderly people, emphasising the “vital” contribution of older residents to the county’s communities.

Councillor Tommy Cahill urged the council to spread the Age Friendly Parking (AFP) scheme to all towns and larger villages in Kerry, ensuring older people are able to access facilities in urban areas.

Speaking at a Kerry County Council meeting last week, Cllr Cahill said older people are “a vital part of our towns, villages, and parishes, who have made and continue to make significant contributions to our communities”.

“As a council, we have a duty to ensure that our infrastructure reflects our values, respect, inclusion, and dignity,” he said.

The AFP scheme is a goodwill-based initiative, providing clearly marked courtesy parking spaces for older members of the community. Spaces are often marked with the Age Friendly Ireland logo on a sign, with the text ‘Age Friendly’ painted over the bay.

While not legally enforceable, these spaces are intended for those who may find walking longer distances difficult, to access town centres and other amenities.

Currently, there are 14 AFP spaces in Kerry, with five in Tralee, five in Killarney and three in Listowel.

“Feedback from older residents and community groups has been overwhelmingly positive. People appreciate the recognition and the improved accessibility these spaces provide,” said Cllr Cahill.

“Every older person in Kerry, whether they live in Dingle, Cahersiveen, Castleisland, Killorglin, Kenmare, or any of our larger villages, should benefit from this initiative. It costs very little to implement but delivers a huge social return. It promotes a culture of respect and raises awareness of the mobility challenges many older people face.”

Cllr Cahill also emphasised the importance of local input for identifying suitable locations for the spaces, asking the council to take community voices into account when creating plans.

“I’m asking that we work with our older residents and community groups in each area to determine the most appropriate and useful locations. This is about partnership and inclusion,” he said.

“We often talk about ‘ageing in place’. Initiatives like this make that possible. Let’s ensure Kerry continues to lead as an age-friendly county.”

Kerry County Council said they are currently developing a new Age Friendly Strategy for Kerry 2025-2030 and as part of the strategy, will examine the expansion of AFP spaces to additional towns and villages in Kerry.