Call for more parking at Naas Library

DESPITE employing one of the most eloquent of motions heard in Kildare in quite some time, a Naas councillor could not persuade the council to expand parking facilities for the Moat Theatre from the newly renovated Library.

Father of the house cllr Seamie Moore had sought that “the council examines, with humanitarian and technical consideration, a scenario in which the arts family of Moat Theatre and the Library and Cultural Centre could combine together to provide a small number of parking accommodations for special needs badge holders in the former Town Hall Yard for events at either venue”.

“As planned Naas Library and Cultural Centre has provision for five car parking spaces assigned for library staff, and just the one space for disability parking in the rear yard,” explained county librarian Gillian Allen, in her formal reply to Cllr Moore. “The disability parking space can be accessed by library patrons who are blue badge holders, who are visiting the library, or attending events taking place there during opening hours."

This includes Monday to Saturday, and the three late evenings Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until 8pm, or until the event is over, and access to the parking space is obtained by contacting the Library by phone or email in advance,” she revealed.

“The library service cannot provide any additional parking in the rear yard, and it would not be possible to provide parking to members of the public attending events in the Moat Theatre. The one space the library has needs to be kept free for its users and those attending library events who require disability parking. Access to that space is managed by the library staff during library opening hours, and the gates to the yard are locked for security reasons outside of opening hours."