Local campaigners are outraged after an ambulance struggled to get to a person in need due to illegal parking in Monkstown.
Group ‘Monkstown Farm’ highlighted the incident, that happened on Oliver Plunkett Road, on Twitter saying: “Heartbreaking to see an ambulance struggle to get to the needy because of illegal parking and lack of enforcement.
“Vital time is lost trying to navigate around obstacles. Enough is enough!”
The local pedestrian advocacy group told Dublin Gazette that this sort of illegal parking has been going on for years.
“Over the past few years, both sides of this road have been taken over by path parkers.
“Drivers ignore the double yellow lines and park where they what with total disregard for pedestrians.”
The group said that due to the “lack of enforcement in the area” illegal parking is not only a serious issue for local emergency services, but also major health and safety issue for parents with prams, people with disabilities and school children who are forced out onto the road with oncoming traffic.
They are calling for more street wardens to issue parking fines.
Local campaigner for people with disabilities Sean O’Kelly, is a wheelchair user and is currently doing an internship in Monkstown Farm. He runs the ‘A day in my wheels’ campaign and said the situation is “disgraceful”.
“Last year, I was going around and there was a car parked across the footpath.
“There was a parking attendant there at the time, so he had to help me out onto the road, and I had to go around the car.
“He gave the car a parking ticket, but in essence I had to go onto the road.
“[People should] think before they park.”
Sean said he would like to see the county council making “more enforcements” and some more “double yellow lines or some other barriers”.
Councillor Michael Merrigan (IND) said the situation in Monkstown Farm “cannot be permitted to continue” and that he would like to see the council and gardai meet with the community groups to explore ways to solve the problem.
“I had also arranged with the gardai in Dún Laoghaire and Blackrock to allow for complaints to be forwarded to the Garda Stations by email with photographs and locations,” said Cllr Merrigan.
