New Thurles car park will have a barrier system in place

Independent Councillor Jim Ryan has been informed that the reason for no disabled car parking spaces being provided in the new car park off Liberty Square and Slievenamon Road, is that this car park will have a barrier in place and therefore there is no mechanism for allowing the spaces to be charge free.

However, he was assured by District Engineer, Mr Thomas Duffy at the monthly meeting of the Municipal District Council that additional disabled parking spaces are being provided in the refurbished Liberty Square and also on Slievenamon Road, which he said, would be closer to the shops in the centre of the town.

Cllr Seamus Hanafin expressed reservation about the barrier being in place at the car park, but Cllr Ryan said that there should be technology available whereby a disabled driver can swipe their card to gain free access to the car park. He also called for some all-day parking spaces to be provided in the car park as well.

Mr Duffy agreed that barrier parking is a new concept in Thurles but the council did not wish it to be an impediment to using the town centre. It works well in other towns and he suggested that it will work well in Thurles town also.