Ombudsman wins battle for residents over parking

IT’S been hailed as a victory for the man on the street. People who live in apartments in Cork city centre, and who were denied residents’ parking permits because their complexes had off-street parking, have won a significant battle thanks to the ombudsman.

Cork City Council has been told to re-examine its policy governing the issuing of the parking permits after ombudsman Emily O’Reilly upheld a number of complaints about the issue in her 2008 annual report. She said the theme of her 2008 report was based on a single issue – the failure of public bodies to act correctly in accordance with the law and other rules.

She said she received several complaints against Cork City Council over its refusal to grant resident parking permits to residents who live in city apartment complexes because private off-street parking was available to them.