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IN THE FIRST six months of this year in Dublin city, there were 338 vehicles clamped for illegally parking in a disabled bay.
According to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request, numbers in the second and third biggest cities, were lower than this but groups representing the disabled say more needs to be done to address it.
In Limerick, 84 fines were issued in the most recent six months period and in Cork, 151 fines were issued for parking in disabled parking spaces.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Keith Hayes Disability Co-ordinator for Enable Ireland said he believes that, for the most part, people do respect the spaces.
However Hayes, who is a wheelchair user himself, said this could just be because they know that parking inspectors about and they want to avoid the €80 fine if they get caught.
For him, “shopping centres are the worst places” when it comes people without disabled stickers parking in those spots.
“I presume it’s because there is less chance to get caught as they don’t seem to enforce the regulations,” he said. For a person with a physical disability, and for those in wheelchairs in particular, having spaces taken up by those who don’t really need them can make things extremely difficult.
The disabled parking spots are usually a bit longer and wider to get that extra space so if you park accessible vehicle in the non-disabled parking you are limited with the space and can be very difficult or even impossible to get out and back in. Also if the disabled parking bay is taken you might have to park further away from the destination and in case of a person with mobility difficulties it will make it that harder for them.
A spokesperson for the charity, said it’s a “pet hate for lots of people” when spaces are misused and it has seen some lively discussions about it on our Facebook page in the past.
These are just some of the comments on a post about a woman being banned from driving for six months for parking in a disabled spot.
In July, a teenager in Limerick was also banned from driving for five months after parking is car across two disabled parking spaces.
“The message is really getting out there that if you park in an accessible space, meaning a person who needs that space cannot park, you are essentially cutting off access to that entire shop, restaurant, town or village to that person,”Enable Ireland said. “It’s something that most right minded people are not slow to challenge and that’s commendable.”
The charity also said there is a need in general for more spaces anyway.
“For this, we need to talk to business owners and town and city councils and impress upon them that people with disabilities are their customers, or at least they have the potential to be if they can metaphorically open their doors to them,” it said. “More spaces will mean more customers.”
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Poor dog, what kind of human being does this sort of thing?
@Seamus Mac: OMG,it looks so helpless.What can it do but wait for some human kindness.It might be a tad overboard but I wish nothing but misery to any human being that could do this to an animal.Its not as though it can call for help.its stomach churning.Sleep well whoever did this.I hope you’re caught.
@The digenous: you obviously have a very healthy hatred for the present government so?
@Dave Stewart: F off back to the Eurhymtics Dave. Sweet Dreams!!
@The digenous: take long walk of a digenous pier. Or is that disingenuous miss spelt?
@The digenous: Eurythmics !! Goddamn spellcheck.
@Dave Stewart: Dave,seriously!! This topic is about how people treat animals.I see by your reply that,is how you treat people:-( Any person that can do that to a dog,(and I don’t give a sh*t about politics on this subject) is nothing short of Sc•m!
@Seamus Mac: The same kind of human being that allows citizens sleep on the streets or has 10,000 patients wait on trolleys. Comparatively, we treat animals better.
@The digenous: I agree, should have added that it’s wrong to be abandoned by a person if your an animal or abandoned by your peeps as a person.
@Nick Caffrey: stick to the topic.
@Seamus Mac: human? Not the word
@Ann McDonald: which one
What people do to animals who just want to be loved is disgusting and needs to stop.
@Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: what kind of people do it to their own “people”..?
@Dave Stewart: how many homeless people have you housed? Climb down off your High horse a second and realise that people can think more than one thing is bad at a time.
@Dave O’Keeffe: I live in a 3 bed house with 2 kids and my wife, where would you like me to offer,. It’s the government’s job.
@Dave Stewart: we are allowed to talk about other subjects too ya know, last time I checked anyway.
@Dave Stewart: an island maybe. As is how!
@Sam Greene: not when it’s superseded by your own kind, its a bit like climate change or eating animals. There isn’t a reverse only the behaviourism
My dog is a GSD/Akita rescue and a more perfect dog would be hard to find – this is heartbreaking. How could anyone do this?
That’s disgusting. Someone has karma coming to them.
@Mick: hopefully but Karmas not a thing.
@GMCManning: chicken Karma is :)
Everyone should canvas their TDs to start getting tough on Animal Cruelty. It’s getting worse and worse. A poor defenceless animal. I hope he gets back to full health
@Decko49: which ones? The ones that have a greyhound syndicate? The ones that give about 17 million to the greyhound industry? The ones that support hare coursing? Whistle on…
@jamesdecay: Hey Sherlock people have to start somewhere. What’s your idea so?
@Decko49: no harm to ya brother. Write, email, visit the clinics. Just saying that on balance, if you’re a decent skin, you don’t need to be asked to be kind to animals. There’s some really unpleasant characters in the Dáil. Suggest highlighting their ugliness might be a better route. That, and of course, fundraise for the various charities that do great work and adopt a pet yourself from one of these set ups.
@jamesdecay: well said sir
Yet another example of dog abuse in this country, these animal abusers are no different from the dog racers who raced 90 dogs to death on Irish tracks so far this year in taxpayer funded dog racing. Animal welfare is 3rd world in Ireland, we are not a dog loving country and should be shamed internationally.
@Niall O’Neill: I love my 3 dogs and sacrifice a lot for them,not everyone is bad
@Niall O’Neill: While I agree there are lots of cruel people out there most people here in Ireland love their dogs and treat them great. It’s just these disgusting stories drive us all crazy. I love my dog so much. He’s so loving and loyal as most dogs are
@Niall O’Neill: sanctioned by the star
@Decko49: most people love their dogs? Must be why our rescues are overflowing and we rely on exporting dogs to be adopted otherwise the put-to-sleep numbers would be even greater. Every year rescues beg people not to give pets as Christmas gifts but they’re ignored and then the dumping starts even before the New Year comes around.
@EillieEs: I said most people. I didn’t say all people. Have you seen how many people walk their dogs and love them? Of course there are people who don’t. And that’s why I said most people. Are you telling me you think most people mistreat their dogs? Where I come from loads of us love our dogs. They are treated great. Maybe where you are from they are not
My dog is seventeen now. He’s my best friend and was found in a black plastic bag in Tesco in Carrick-on-Shannon. We rescued him in 2005 (3 at the time) and every day has been a treasure. €unt5 like this deserve to be given EXACTLY the same treatment as they give the dogs.
@sean: I hope he lasts for a long time yet. He was a lucky fella to get ye to adopt him. Well done
Fingers crossed he pulls through. It’s an absolutely stunning looking dog!!!
@Horgan Tim: He/She
I cannot get my head around the fact somebody can do this to a poor dog. If caught this person needs to be held accountable.
Poor dog.. The men with wigs will barely punish the bag of … sad really.
So sad. Poor wuff :(((
Hopefully the dirt that did this has karma coming to them. Filth
There really are some sick b@stards around
I wish the Person/Person the Wrath of Hell for this
If he needs a home, I have one for that poor creature. No animal should suffer at our hands.
Short of micro-chipping everyone and every animal in Ireland, there is no way of controlling the abuse and or murder of the same.
For gods sake will you all get down off your high horses. That’s probably the reason that it was abandoned in the first place. Because the person couldn’t deal with all the judgement from do-gooders. You may mean well but it doesn’t help people surrender unwanted animals if they are going to be judged for it? The person left the animal near the center so there was a fair chance that it would be found. They could have chained it to a gate anywhere & you don’t know the circumstances of the injuries. The animal may have been injured in an accident. It may have gotten out on its owners, & have been hit by a car. It may be someone who’s relative has developed dementia & can no longer look after it. So before you all rush to judge the person that tied it up. Think!!!
@Colm O’Leary: no decent human being would tie up a badly injured dog in freezing cold weather to suffer. No excuse for it.
@marianne ryan: they obviously had a reason for it. Perhaps they were afraid of being vilified and dragged into court by someone blinkered like you!
@Niall O’Neill: no it wasn’t, but there are reasonss for this. If the person was heartless they could have just shot the dog and disposed of it but they didn’t. They brought it to the gates of the ispca where they assumed that it would be found. Perhaps later than they thought but everyone getting on their high horse and getting out the burning torches and pitchforks doesn’t help. I’ve been in the receiving end of these crusaders when I was trying to deal with my mother who had dementia. She had 16 cats and I was dealing with it with the local ISPCA, when a local animal rights group stuck their oar in and started harassing my mother. Which made a confused old woman worse. Eventually I had to threaten them with legal action if any of their members set foot over the threshold again.
@Colm O’Leary: do it’s OK to leave a dog to suffer?? Could they not have brought him in to the centre when it was open. It just shows how bad the treatment of animals is in Ireland when people say st least the chained him up outside a rescue centre badly injured in the freezing rain.
@marianne ryan: so what would you suggest they do. Wrap it up in a cashmere blanket? Erect a tent over it? Maybe hand feeding it warm milk? Well if you want to do that fine, no doubt your dog is your child but for most people in a poor rural area a dog does a job or it’s gets destroyed. Maybe they should have done that? When the dog was injured they should have put it down themselves.
@Colm O’Leary: Think? no ,less crap from you
Dirty evil c&$7$ .. Hope the dog makes a recovery
No CCTV??
Why “contact the owner?? The owner probably abused him.
let’s face it, the irish condone animal cruelty….this kind of stuff, fox hunting,hair coursing, what a sick bunch of people.
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