‘Problem’ identified with Donegal’s disabled parking spaces

Calls were made to review disabled parking spaces across the county and add some age and autism friendly parking

Published 22nd Jul 2026, 18:29 BST Disabled parking spaces can only be used by permit holders | Donegal Live Calls were made to review disabled parking spaces across the county and add some age and autism friendly parking Sign up to our Donegal Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Donegal Live within your account.

A “problem” has been identified in relation to disabled parking spaces in the county.

The issue was brought to the July Plenary meeting by Fianna Fáil councillor Fionán Bradley , who asked the council to review disabled parking bays due to a space issue. Disabled Spaces are designed to be wider and located near entrances to facilitate wheelchair and vehicle ramp access.

Cllr Bradley explained that he was in contact with a gentleman who has been in a wheelchair his whole life and has a van which opens up at the back with a ramp. When he avails of the disabled bay, and another vehicle parks in the space behind, he cannot access his own vehicle.

“When that gentleman returns, because there is someone in the space behind, he cannot open the door to let the ramp down,” Cllr Bradley highlighted.

“Therefore, he cannot get in and has to sit on the footpath until the person who is parked behind him returns. The person feels terrible about it, but they have made no mistake as such. They have parked legitimately and fairly in a space.

“We need to review the size of the disabled spaces we have; I don’t know if some are not long or wide enough or at the wrong location, but there is definitely a problem.”

Donegal’s Children’s Disability Network Teams allocated three new positions for 2026 Councillor asks HSE to extend parking facilities at Letterkenny University Hospital Furthermore, Cllr Bradley highlighted the need for age-friendly parking spaces, as demonstrated by Fingal County Council. These spaces support the elderly, designed for accessibility through wider bays and being located close to entrances

“Not everybody who is elderly has a blue badge for disabled parking that enables them to park in a designated spot,” Cllr Bradley said. “Plenty of people are elderly and might not be quite as mobile as they once were. They could avail of this type of parking, usually near a disabled space.

“There is definitely also a need for autism friendly parking spaces as well,” he continued. “I have had contact from many families and organisations who have asked about getting a blue badge to be able to park in the disabled bay. However, you have to be a wheelchair user or have a physical disability to avail of these places.

“In many cases, these children and young adults with autism or special educational needs are physically fit and therefore not entitled to the blue badge. It can be a big task for these families to take the children to the shop or for a medical appointment if they cannot get parked in an appropriate place.”

Autism friendly parking spaces are designed for sensory considerations, located within quiet locations with minimal visual distractions. Cllr Bradley outlined that this would benefit organisations such as iCare, Cashel na Cor and Solas.

Director of Roads and Transportation, Bryan Cannon, responded that the Roads and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) considered the issue of accessible parking at its meeting in May of this year.

An overview of the legislative framework that supports designated "blue badge" parking spaces and best practice in relation to provision was considered. The SPC also considered the additional voluntary forms of accessible parking provision that exist in some areas.

The SPC concluded that the Council should, in the first instance, following an audit on the location and distribution of "blue badge" spaces, undertake a programme of improvements to this form of accessible parking provision in the county before considering rolling out any further voluntary accessible parking provision.

Disabled parking spaces have clear legal backing, enabling consistent enforcement and public recognition. However, both age- and autism friendly parking lack legal enforcement through Irish law and rely on voluntary compliance from the public.

Related topics: Parking Donegal County Council Fionán Bradley Disability Sign up to our Donegal Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Donegal Live within your account.