Aontú has called for an end to clamping, after new figures revealed that the number of cars clamped has jumped 18% in just two years.
According to the NTA, in 2025, there were 143,000 vehicles clamped by private companies - a figure up nearly a fifth since 2023
However, there were also 21,000 first stage appeals lodged and nearly a quarter of those appeals, 5,100, were successful.
On The Hard Shoulder, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said the practise is inherently arbitrary and unfair.
“Everybody has an example of being unfairly clamped, and it's a historic system at this stage - there's no other European countries that we know of that are using this system,” he argued.
“Amsterdam will use it only on the third occasion that a person has been parking illegally.
“So, I think that if you have private companies operating in the public sphere, and if they're doing so for a profit, if they're being incentivised to clamp, well then there's major difficulties in terms of this system being abused.
“What we're calling for is the end of clamping as a tool to administer parking in Ireland.”
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The Meath West TD suggested the Department of Transport should instead look into issuing electronic fines, adding that the public also have the right to know how much profit private clamping companies generate.
“All of these clamping companies, we should know their profit margins, we should know how many vehicles they're clamping on an annual basis,” he said.
Another advocate of bringing an end to clamping is Irish Parking Association Chairman David Cullen, who believes the practice puts staff at risk.
Those who carry out clamping regularly complain of abuse and sometimes even assault.
One clamper said a man even turned up at his family home and threatened him.
“We have spent 25 years, I showed you some evidence, of lobbying various Governments, Ministers for Transport to give us an alternative because we don't like clamping,” Mr Cullen said.
“In Ireland, we're the only country in Europe that still has clamping because the government won't allow us access to the owner's details in order for us to give a parking charge notice.
“So our hands are tied; I hate it, absolutely hate it.”
Main image: A clamped car. Picture by: Alamy.com.
