*Harvey’s Quay car park
THE public now has an opportunity to make submissions on proposed changes to Ennis parking bye-laws for the first time in 12 years, with a consultation process due to open this week.
The draft Ennis Parking Bye-Laws have been approved for public consultation at the November meeting of Ennis Municipal District, with submissions to be accepted from Thursday, November 12 until 4pm on January 8, 2027.
The existing parking bye-laws have been in place since May 2014, with councillors having previously raised concerns about long-stay parking in town-centre car parks and the availability of spaces for shoppers and residents.
The review moving forward to public consultation was proposed by Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) and seconded by Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF).
Liam O’Connor, Administrative Officer in the Transportation Department, told councillors that the consultation would be advertised through the council’s website and social media, with local traders also to be engaged.
He said the intention was to have a report on the submissions prepared in time for the February meeting of Ennis Municipal District.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) welcomed the progress, noting that she had been a councillor in the Ennis area for 12 years without the bye-laws having been reviewed.
She said the consultation would give the public an opportunity to put forward their views and described the review as a “positive thing for the town, its businesses and its prosperity”.
Cllr Colleran Molloy also asked whether residential areas such as Ard na Gréine and Cloughleigh could be included in the review, and how parking would be managed in areas where parking is not subject to charges.
Senior Engineer Hugh McGrath said residential parking would be dealt with through a separate process, noting that different areas could require different approaches.
He said the council would need to be careful that any proposed solution did not disenfranchise residents or reduce available road space.
Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said the review should address the use of key public car parks by people working in the town centre, arguing that spaces should be available for customers and visitors.
He said some car parks were full by 8.30am or 9am, with business owners and staff occupying spaces for much of the day.
While acknowledging that workers needed somewhere to park, he suggested that multi-storey parking could be considered in the future to accommodate them.
Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) praised the work involved in preparing the draft bye-laws, saying councillors had been listened to throughout the process.
Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) also thanked those involved, saying the review could help drive economic activity by making more parking spaces available to customers.
“We can’t increase the retail floor space in the town but we can increase the volume of people,” he said.
The draft bye-laws are due to go to public consultation on Thursday, November 12, with submissions accepted until 4pm on January 8, 2027.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
