Proposed parking tariff rate changes for this Kildare MD voted down
Amendments that Kildare County Council proposed to make to parking tariff rates in the Athy Municipal District have been voted down.
The matter was raised during the opening stages of the latest Municipal District meeting, which took place on Monday, October 12 last.
The current rate is 80 cent an hour, and Kildare County Council wants to bring all of the Municipal Districts in line at €1.50 an hour.
However, Kildare County Council also suggested an increase to €1.20, following initial feedback from the Municipal District’s councillors.
The €1.50 that Kildare County Council was looking for represented an 87 per cent increase, while €1.20 represented a 50pc increase.
Both of these proposals were criticised by Labour Party Cllr Aoife Breslin.
She told Kildare County Council that she could not reconcile the increases given the cost of living crisis and the pressures that it is putting on several people.
Cllr Breslin also pointed out that, with winter on the way, people’s fuel bills will likely increase.
“It is not right, given the time of year… if it was proposed back in spring or summer, I would be open to it, but I think that Kildare County Council is out of sync on this one,” she added.
Furthermore, Cllr Breslin claimed that the increases would be ‘unfair’ on vulnerable road users.
Following this, Fine Gael Cllr Ivan Keatley spoke, and told Kildare County Council: “I don’t know how we are supposed to make a decision on this.”
He also said: “There’s never a good time to bring in increases — an increase is an increase — but I understand that we have to come in line with the other Municipal Districts.”
Fianna Fáil Cllr Brian Dooley then remarked that the decision to increase the parking tariffs in the Municipal District ‘would not be popular’ with constituents.
He also told Kildare County Council that he would like a review of pay parking in the Municipal District ‘as soon as possible’.
After the matter was put to a vote, Cllrs Breslin and Dooley, along with the Cathaoirleach / Mayor of the Municipal District, Labour Party Cllr Mark Leigh, voted against the increases.
Cllr Keatley abstained from the vote, while Fianna Fáil Cllr Veralouise Behan had no vote as she was absent from the meeting.
Kildare County Council’s proposals were subsequently voted down.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.