Limerick Chamber of Commerce yesterday criticised the decision by the city council to increase disc parking charges from 30p to 40p.
Mr Tadhg Kearney, president of the chamber, said in a statement: "We are extremely disappointed at the decision.country at over Pounds 50 in the pound, now seem determined to move the cost of on-street city centre parking into the same league."
Mr Kearney said that the increase represented a rise of 33 1/3 per cent over the past five years when the consumer price increase was only 12 per cent.
The new increase will bring in an additional Pounds 100,000 to the city finances, as disc sales already amount to Pounds 400,000 a year in Limerick city.