Answer to Dublin's parking problem is 'making it much more expensive'

Legislation written in the 1990s massively prioritises those in houses over apartments when it comes to parking permits, and Dublin City Council is now looking to amend their by-laws and increases fees for the first time since 2013

Add to preferred sources News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 14:32, 10 Sep 2026 Updated 15:25, 10 Sep 2026 View Image Parking ticket machine, parking meter

Residential parking in Dublin city has come up against a provision problem - with “making it much more expensive” suggested as the solution.

A discussion around parking on residential roads at yesterday’s Mobility and Public Realm SPC meeting offered no easy answers for the capacity troubles faced by tenants across the city. Those living in apartments are often unable to acquire an on-street parking permit and Parking Enforcement Officer Kenneth Murphy stated a review of the current by-laws and legislation leaves apartment dwellers wanting.

He explained that government policy prohibited them from extending the current conventional parking permit system to include apartments. Furthermore, Executive Manager for Traffic Brendan O’Brien said the council’s active travel ambitions require them to limit the amount of parking available to apartments to encourage more sustainable modes of transport.

“From a practical point of view,” Mr O’Brien said there are “very few” roads that would even allow them to issue more on-street permits. Opening up parking to those in apartments would “undermine” the council’s development plan and he confirmed there are no plans to do so.

The Dublin City Parking Control Bye Laws 2024 currently set out that a development of more than four-units with off-road parking that is not on a heavy demand road may apply for one Category B permit per unit at a cost of €400 per year or €750 for two years, which is “ten times more expensive” than conventional permits.

In practice, the council states there is rarely enough room on adjacent roads for these permits to be issued. Currently, just 39 have been approved.

This system comes from a time when apartments were not very common in Dublin. “The residential parking permit scheme was originally designed within the context of an existing road with conventional ‘houses’. DCC has considered whether and how the parking permit schemes should be expanded to take account of the new types of housing now being built in Dublin City,” a council report stated.

In contrast, the cost for a first time applicant looking for a parking permit on the road outside their house is €50 for one year or €80 for two years. Representatives pointed out the vast disparity between parking permit fees for house versus apartment dwellers.

Chair of the Mobility and Public Realm SPC Councillor Janet Horner said the issue highlights the “inequity of access to parking” as costs for those living in complexes is “wildly more expensive” than in houses with on-street parking. “There’s no real coherency as to why there is that massive cost difference,” the Green Party councillor said. “Unfortunately, the answer is making it much more expensive for some people - that will not popular,” she said.

Cllr Horner called for steps to be put in place to “manage the future of on-street parking in the city” and supported measures to incentivise people to give up their spaces for those who may need them. The council did confirm that those with a disability Blue Badge can park for free at any Dublin City Council parking spaces, including residential areas.

Mr O’Brien revealed they are preparing to bring forward a proposal to increase fees for residential permits, which have not been raised since 2013. The increased costs would be based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and likely be presented to representatives at the next Mobility and Public Realm SPC meeting.

The complexities of the current by-laws apartment parking permits means it can difficult to understand the regulations, with Mr O’Brien admitting last May “we’re confused as well”. Mr O’Brien said the by-laws were written in the 1990s and during this time large apartment complexes on residential roads were not common, but today it has become normal.

“New Dublin residents tend to live in apartments more and more, this is the new reality. In the past people would move to apartments to eventually move into a house, but now they’re having children and this is their forever home," he said.

With this change in living circumstances comes major challenges, as there’s not enough parking to accommodate the large influx of people living in housing complexes. Add to this, government policy to reduce spaces beside areas with good public transport and many residents are left warring with their neighbours over limited on-street parking.

It’s unclear how the council increasing the costs of permits will resolve the capacity issue, but this proposal will also come with plans to amend the current by-laws. The Mobility and Public Realm SPC are due to meet again on November 11.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here .

Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.