People who park in a disabled parking space without a blue badge should be issued with an instant fine of €150. 

That’s according to one Lunchtime Live listener, Tracey, whose daughter is disabled and has seen the impact of such a scheme in her local area.

“In Lucan, a text alert scheme [was] put in place,” she said.

“There was a signpost [put in], and you can text the registration of the car whose parked illegally in a disabled space and they get an instant fine.

“It’s been really successful.”

Tracy said that implementing this measure on a national scale could help to resolve the issue.

"Nobody follows up on it, so no one ever gets fined," she said.

"If we had that national tax alert, you park in that space illegally and you get an instant fine of €150 - you'll never do it again."

Wheelchair user struggles to pass by badly parked car on pavement and double yellow lines in Brighton UK, 11-02-2016. Image: Simon Dack / Alamy

Disabled Drivers Association spokesperson Peter Gohery said his members constantly struggle to find appropriate parking.

“A person might have the blue card up, but it belongs to a family member,” he said.

“They shouldn’t be parked in [the spot], because the blue badge is issued to the holder, and the holder should be sitting in the car or in the shop while you’re parked in the disabled parking."

Unfit for purpose

Mr Gohery said these spots are often not fit for purpose.

“The other problem we’re finding is that the disabled parking area is not big enough for the person to park in," he said.

“What I mean by that, there's no hatching on the side of it; a person whose trying to get a wheelchair up beside it to put the wheelchair together when they get out of the car, the door won’t open enough for them.”

Independent Senator Tom Clonan said that staff are rarely in place to enforce the rules and that disabled drivers can put themselves at risk if they confront people over the issue.

“Generally speaking, if somebody breaks the social norm of parking in a disabled parking bay without a blue badge, then that's a red flag to begin with,” he said.

“In my experience, it can be quite dangerous to ask them a question or a query.

“I also think it shouldn't be the role of disabled passengers or drivers with disabled passengers to enforce the rule.”