No clamping ban in hospitals to be introduced, says Paschal Donohoe

A ban on clamping in public hospitals will not be included in a new clamping Bill, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe has said.

Mr Donohoe refused pleas from TDs to consider some other form of sanction, such as fines, for people “who could be quite sick”, even though he said he had “direct experience” of how difficult it can be to avoid being clamped at James Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

Independent TD Catherine Murphy had asked Mr Donohoe to consider a different form of sanction for those who transgress parking regulations at public HSE and voluntary hospitals.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, she said clamping at these hospitals was “an inappropriate form of sanction and can cause extreme distress”.

She also claimed some management companies at apartment blocks were organising to have cars clamped where owners had not paid management charges.

Ms Murphy was supported by Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis, who said clamping, particularly at Blanchardstown hospital, was one of the “most disgraceful” things he has seen.

He said people in hospitals may be distressed and may need to get home. If there was a fine system in place, they could deal with that or appeal.

However, refusing a request from the TDs to accept an amendment to the new Vehicle Clamping Bill, Mr Donohoe said the point of the Bill was not to set parking policy but to give power to the National Transport Authority to regulate clamping, establish an appeals process and set a code of practice for clampers.

Deterrent

The issue of whether clamping was employed as a deterrent was a matter for local authorities or the landowners involved, he said.

While Mr Donohoe said he did not think it appropriate for “primary legislation” to dictate what type of parking controls might be appropriate, he had sympathy for their position on clamping in hospitals.