The most lucrative street in Dublin for the City Council's clampers is Castle Street, the short, cobbled stretch behind City Hall.
Figures obtained from the council under the Freedom of Information Act show the street, which runs along the north side of Dublin Castle, generated €97,600 last year. To earn this 1,220 cars or an average of more than three a day, were clamped on the street. The fee to have a car released is €80. The second most lucrative street is North Great George's Street, from which the clampers gleaned €77,280 in 2002. Some 966 cars were clamped to generate this, or 2.6 a day.
Although clamping is carried out throughout the council's area, including residential districts, the top 10 revenue-generating streets are all in the city-centre. Six are on the south side. Mr Paul McCarthy, traffic enforcement officer with the council said the nine clamping vans operated by the contracted company Control Plus did not set out to target individual streets. "Obviously they give particular attention to the commercial areas," he said, adding that the clampers were most active at the peak times of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
"If we get a pattern of complaints about illegal parking in an area we put more frequent patrols there, but that is not to say we over-patrol some areas and ignore others." As well as the nine clamping vans, Mr McCarthy said there were many more mobile "spotters" on motorbikes as well as the council's CCTV network feeding images of streets and illegally parked cars back to the traffic control centre at the civic offices on Wood Quay.
"Obviously we can't target the pay and display offenders with the cameras but we can target vehicles causing obstructions at bus stops, taxi ranks, bus lanes."
The council also paid "particular attention" to the disabled parking bays, he said. "We do instruct Control Plus 'Don't tolerate people going into the disabled bays unless they have the correct certificate displayed'. When able-bodied drivers take those spaces it is a major inconvenience for the disabled drivers."
One resident of the most lucrative street north of the Liffey said he felt "terribly sorry for the people, especially those from the country, who park on the street on Sundays and don't expect to be clamped". Senator David Norris said he agreed there should be "restricted parking on the street so there are places for the street's residents, but I think this seven days a week is a bit severe". Revenue generated by clamping has climbed yearly since it was introduced in 1999, to €3,664,975 last year.
It does not, however, make a profit, according to Mr McCarthy. "It doesn't even break even but we see it as a necessary investment.
"Since we've had the clamping and removal services the incidence of illegal parking in the city has reduced dramatically."
Clampers top 10: Dublin streets
Castle Street €97,600
Nth Gt Georges St €77,280
Merrion Sq Nth €64,640
Dawson Street €53,120
Capel Street €48,080
Synge Street €39,680
D'Olier Street €38,800
Parnell Sq Nth €38,480
Molesworth Street €36,400
Parnell Street €33,040
