MOTORISTS caught parking illegally at Marble Hill in Dunfanaghy are to be fined.

Fresh concerns had been aired in recent weeks that illegal parking on Marble Hill Strand could block emergency access.

Councillor Michael McClafferty welcomed the move. He said incidents of illegal parking have been commonplace along the road to the Shandon Hotel and Marble Hill beach.

He said such is the situation, refuse lorries have also been prevented from getting to customers. He feared the situation could result in a potential fatality if emergency services were prevented from accessing the road.

He said there was “no excuse” for illegal parking, and he appealed to motorists to use allocated parking spaces only.

This week, fines were issued to motorists who were not parked in designated spots.

The move has been broadly welcomed, with one person commenting: “It was dreadful during the spell of hot weather. Parking on private property and totally abandoning any sense of safe parking where there were no yellow lines,” while another said: “Good for them. Sheer laziness.”

The incidents of illegal parking in the popular tourist area have also led to renewed calls for a long-term solution to be found to address the parking issue.

A garda spokesperson told the Donegal News a number of Fixed Charged Notices’ are expected to be issued in the coming weeks.

“Gardaí have been continuing to monitor this area over the summer months, especially during peak times. This is to ensure the free movement of traffic and in particular, to allow access for emergency vehicles at all times.

“A number of Fixed Charged Notices’ are expected to be issued in the coming weeks. An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to all motorists  to park responsibly when visiting the area.”