Council Refused To "Bend" Rules On Parking Fine, Says Naas Mayor - Who Then Took The Case To Court

Tuesday, 7 October 2025 12:27

By Martin Osborne - Head of News. Got a story? Email news@kfmradio.com

He said they were not "prepared to bend any of those for me" and "the only way out was to get a hearing with somebody else" and that somebody else "would be a judge".

The Mayor Of Naas has doubled down on his belief that Mayors should not have to pay parking fines when they are working in an official capacity for the council.

Yesterday, Cllr Seamie Moore had a parking fine struck out at Naas District Court.

He was fined for overstaying his grace period.

He said he refused to pay the fine because it was "unfair" and that he "might look for some grace periods or some exemption for the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor at very important functions".

He said he has paid a lot of parking fines in his time but he did not pay the latest fine because he was attending a function arranged by the council.

He also said he sometimes parks in "box areas" because he can not get a space but he usually pays all his fines.

He explained how he refused to pay the latest fine because he was working for the council at the time.

The case related to an incident during an official function at Naas Town Hall earlier this year.

He made representations to council officials but they were not prepared to "bend" the rules, Cllr Moore said.

He said they were not "prepared to bend any of those for me" and "the only way out was to get a hearing with somebody else" and that somebody else "would be a judge".

He said the parking system is "outdated" in Naas and that most places have systems where you can pay at a barrier when you leave.

He said he went to court on a matter of "principle".

Speaking to Kfm, Cllr Moore claimed that other councillors have made similar appeals in the past but council officials do not want to set a precedent.

Kfm understands that Cllr Moore was 24 minutes outside the grace period, which resulted in the fine.

The court took into consideration his age and previous good character and struck the matter out.