Two major Dublin city centre car parks could be repurposed for uses as housing, the Green Party is to tell Dublin City Council

The Ilac Shopping Centre and Dawson Street car parks are both owned by Dublin City Council and the renewal of the lease is voted on every five years.

The two car parks host a combined 1,360 car parking spaces but the Green Party thinks the space has the potential to be better used for housing, bike parking or cultural amenities. 

“It may be that we will go ahead after a review but I just feel that all possibilities should be looked at first,” Cllr Donna Cooney told The Pat Kenny Show.

Emissions

Under the Government’s 2021 Climate Action Plan, the Department of Transport’s hope to cut transport emissions by half and reduce the total distance driven by cars by 20% by 2030. 

With that in mind, Cllr Cooney feels it is time to reconsider the number of car parking spaces in the city centre.

“Have traffic management looked at the potential use of those car parks?” she said. 

“Will they be as well used with the new traffic management plans that we’re bringing in? 

“Parnell Street can be quite jammed at the moment. 

“If College Green [Shopping Centre’s renovation] is going ahead, will it be such a great option to use the Dawson Street car park?

“I just think all these things need to be considered.” 

The busy junction of Grafton Street and College Green, Dublin, Ireland where many forms of transport converge.

Cllr Cooney conceded it would be important to make sure any change did not impact those with mobility issues. 

“We always need to keep in mind those that have no other option but to use their own car to get into the city,” she said. 

“They need to have increased and better parking - so, maybe that needs to be put into [the review]?

“Maybe that type of multi storey car parking isn’t exactly suitable?” 

The vote on whether to renew the car parks’ leases will be held this evening.

Main image: A car park.