Parking Provision Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-20 ============================================================ Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South I thank Senator Costello for raising this important issue. Obviously, it is within the ministerial responsibility of the Minister, Deputy James Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, but I am very happy to be here today to answer it and to take the opportunity to update Senator Costello and the House on the issue. At the outset, I absolutely agree with the Senator. It is fine for people who live very close to the place where they work or who have all the facilities around them to say they do not need to use a car, but for people who have to travel distances to get to work, bring their kids to sporting facilities or do their shopping, it is a fact of life that people do need a vehicle and we need to try to facilitate them as much as possible. I can assure the Senator the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and I and the Government recognise the importance of adequate parking provision within new developments. In this regard, parking rates are addressed at a national level in the sustainable residential development and compact settlement guidelines. These guidelines were issued in 2024 under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. As set out in the specific planning policy requirement, SPPR, No. 3 of the settlement guidelines, graduated maximum car parking rates are based on proximity to urban centres and sustainable transport options. These range from one space per dwelling in central or accessible locations to two spaces per dwelling in more peripheral or intermediate locations with higher rates of car dependency. I have listened to what the Senator has had to say about Airton Plaza in Tallaght in respect of that. I cannot give a detail as to where that fits in with regard to the ranges. These rates do not include bays assigned for use by a car club, designated short stay on-street electric vehicle charging stations or accessible parking spaces. These guidelines aim to support the use of public transport, walking and cycling to reduce traffic congestion, lower emissions and improve air quality, contributing to national climate goals. They encourage more sustainable urban development by prioritising accessible and connected communities. The provision of car parking can add a significant cost to developments and this factor is taken into account. While the settlement guidelines set out the general policy approach, where planning permission is sought for particular residential development proposals, the planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála will need to be satisfied that the necessary and appropriate provision of parking is provided in accordance with the requirements of the settlement guidelines. For developments of 100 residential units or more, the settlement guidelines recommend that a mobility travel plan is prepared in support of the proposed parking arrangements. In areas with strong public transport links, lower parking ratios may be appropriate. However, planning authorities must also ensure that parking provision is sufficient to meet the specific needs of future residents of a proposed development and taking into account the local context. This is a very important part of my reply to the Senator. Each individual circumstance needs to be taken into account. When the planning authorities are granting planning permission they need to ensure there is adequate parking space available there, taking into account that in many instances cars will be the most appropriate, or in some instances the only available mechanism of transport for people. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-20/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:58+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-05-20