A homeless woman's car was clamped outside of the emergency accommodation she was staying in.
The woman will now have to pay for the clamp to be removed while she struggles to find a place to live. The issue is common for car-owning homeless people because Dublin City Council has a 183 day minimum residency before an on street parking permit can be applied for.
The woman was staying in a homeless hostel in the Cabra area of Dublin when her car was clamped. Sinn Fein Councillor for the area Seamus McGrattan told Dublin Live something had to be done to address the problem.
Read more: Dublin family with mother and premature baby in hospital facing homelessness
He said: "There are a couple of houses down there that are emergency accommodation run by homeless services. But because they are not there on long-term lettings they can't get a parking permit."
This means homeless people are forced to spend significant amounts of money on parking meters or pay the fee to get the clamp off their car.
Cllr McGrattan added: "It is terrible and it applies for anyone in a homeless hostel because they are not long-term lettings. So, they can't get the permit parking. Think of all the hostels they have in and around the city centre - they would all be in the same boat.
"Homeless services are not going away and this is something we have to revisit. It wasn't an issue 10 or 15 years ago but it certainly is now and it will be going forward."
He added: "They have the register so they know who is living there. It is very simple, give them temporary permit parking and when the people move on they take the permit back."
In response to a query from Cllr McGrattan, DCC's Chief Executive said a person must be residing at an address for 183 days to qualify for a permit.
The response read: "Dublin City Council Parking Bye Laws 2020 makes provision for applications for parking permits for residents where a parking scheme is in place. The bye laws state that residents must live and reside overnight for more than 183 days per year at the address."
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