With the shortage of car parking at Dublin Airport, many holidaymakers are parking up in housing estates near the airport – and residents are getting sick of it.

Holywell is approximately five minutes’ drive from Dublin Airport, and Residents’ Association Chairperson Claire McLoughlin said there’s a “huge frustration” among residents there. 

“With the June bank holiday, all the car space were taken up at the airport,” she told Lunchtime Live. “So because of that, Irish holiday-goers and travellers need somewhere to park, so they park in local estates. 

“They’re parking right outside our properties. 

“They come onto the road, they’ll leave their car, a taxi pulls up and a family would go off for three weeks.” 

Car Parking and Industrial Units Dublin Airport Ireland. Image: Peter Titmuss / Alamy Stock Photo

Ms McLoughlin said many Holywell residents return home from work to find all the parking spaces near their home are taken up with cars from all over the country. 

“Even though it’s communal parking for residents and there are signs there, it’s not visible enough for travellers,” she said. 

She said locals are suffering the consequences of Dublin Airport’s inability to cater for the number of passengers that pass through.

'It's not fair'

Taxi driver Damien said he has driven plenty of people to Dublin Airport from local estates and thinks it’s wrong. 

“Obviously it’s great for the taxi business but it’s not fair on travellers that they can’t park at the airport,” he said. 

He said it’s baffling there is still no improved public transport to the airport. 

“What other major city hasn’t got a rail link to it?” he said. “I’ve been listening to this as far back as 1989... all [politicians] going on about Metro North – none of them have done it.” 

Parkpnp

Fingal County Councillor Tom O’Leary said a decision is needed to purchase an unused carpark near Dublin Airport or to build new spaces. 

“There's land out there – it's sitting there empty,” he said. “It would take a minimum two years, maybe three, to get planning permission.” 

He said while people are waiting for more services at Dublin Airport, they can find ways to get parking without taking over spaces. 

“There's a new company out there called Parkpnp and it’s like Airbnb, but you can rent a car space on your drive,” he said. 

Main image: Splitscreen of an airplane in the sky on a clear day with a row of cars parked tightly at a housing estate.