Laois County Council have said that they will survey several old housing estates in the Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick District to determine their need for age friendly and disabled parking spaces.

Mountrath Independent Cllr James Kelly tabled a motion that the Council provide disability parking spaces and accessibility in older housing estates in the Municipal area.

The Municipal District office replied that the Area Office does not carry out road lining works in housing estates, and that the roads maintenance budget for lining works is for works on regional, local primary and local secondary roads.

This was met with disagreement from several Councillors.

“Other housing estates have applied for Community Involvement Schemes (CIS) for additional parking spaces and road lining, we usually don't go into estates to do lining works due to the budget, and the lines existing on other roads,” Senior Executive Engineer Rory O’Callaghan explained.

Cllr Kelly called for these works to be undertaken, considering national strategies dedicated to provisions for the disabled.

“Laois County Council have been way ahead of the posse in providing and building estates, whether social or private. All the new estates have to provide one, two or three disabled spaces, it's part of the planning applications,” he said.

“I am talking about the older housing estates across towns like Mountrath, Mountmellick and Rathdowney. None of those older ones have accessibility car parking spaces, which is not right,” he said.

“Back in the 60’s and 70’s, every house would be lucky to have a car. Now there are three or four cars in each driveway.

"There are various areas that don't have disability car park spaces, and under the National Housing Strategy for Disabled people 2022-27, spaces in housing estates are provided through mandatory building regulations, universal design guidelines and through local authorities,” he said.

“I know you are talking about line marking, I am talking about creating more disability car park spaces, as a bigger picture.”

Mountmellick Fianna Fáil Cllr Paddy Bracken pointed out that the Council often undertakes similar works in housing estates.

“Sometimes the council do go in and mark estates, in a busy estate there are stop signs and more. I do think that there is flexibility there for us to go into estates that aren’t properly marked. All the new estates provided are marked and handed over then, and it comes back to the Council to renew those linings,” he said.

Rathdowney Fine Gael Cllr John King questioned whether disabled parking spaces could be placed outside of people’s homes.

“If they live in an estate and there aren’t spaces provided, are they not entitled to have a car? Either age friendly parking or disabled parking outside of their own house, if the need arises?” Cllr King questioned.

Mr O’Callaghan replied that such issues come down to budget restrictions and potentially setting a precedent in doing so.

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“If you give me a list of priority estates we can do a survey on parking, through the age friendly scheme,” Mr O’Callaghan finished.

This motion was tabled at the February sitting of Laois County Council's Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick Municipal District.