Parking chaos tearing Clondalkin estate apart

A parking crisis is pushing a Southside estate to breaking point, with furious rows, clamping chaos, and calls to Gardaí a daily reality for many residents.

In Kilcarbery Grange, a modern housing estate on the outskirts of Clondalkin village, homeowners, cost-rental tenants, social housing residents, and private renters say the community is in crisis.

Not over crime, anti-social behaviour, or local services, but over parking.

And what may sound like a minor grievance has, according to those living there, escalated to verbal abuse, physical confrontations, and Garda callouts.

Residents say they were all led to believe there would be enough parking when they moved into the estate.

But today, many find themselves circling for space every evening, sometimes parking streets away, or being clamped outside their own homes.

“It’s constant,” said Abi Lalor, a cost-rental tenant.

“Verbal abuse, shouting, even fights. We’re all paying to live here and there’s nowhere to park.”

Kilcarbery Grange is situated just beyond Clondalkin village, where public transport options are limited.

For many families, particularly those with children, carers, or residents with mobility needs, owning a car isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Yet despite the nature of the development, a mix of social, affordable and private housing, residents say there is no allocated parking, no permit system, and no oversight of who can park where. And the situation, they say, has reached boiling point.

Worsening matters, a private clamping company, CPMS, has recently been brought into the estate to penalise cars parked without authorisation.

Residents say there was no consultation, no warning, and no system in place to identify vehicles belonging to people who actually live there.

“It’s like we’re being punished,” said one resident.

“A simple badge or permit system would solve it.

“But instead, we’re being clamped in front of our own homes.”

Responsibility for the chaos, however, remains as murky as the estate’s parking lines.

When tenants turned to Tuath Housing, the Approved Housing Body that manages the cost-rental homes in the estate, they were told parking wasn’t Tuath’s responsibility.

Tuath, in turn, pointed to O’Dwyer Real Estate Management (ODREM), a private property management firm.

But ODREM has stated in its own correspondence that the parking falls under land controlled by South Dublin County Council (SDCC).

SDCC, meanwhile, says the estate has not yet been formally handed over from the developers, meaning it does not currently manage the estate, including its roads or parking.

The result?

A loop of finger-pointing in which no single agency is willing or able to take control and residents are left to deal with the fallout.

“Everyone’s pointing fingers and no one’s taking ownership,” said Lalor.

“Meanwhile we’re getting clamped outside our own homes.”

Residents say the situation has been brewing for months, with no sign of improvement.

At a recent Annual General Meeting, they hoped to raise their concerns and push for some sort of resolution.

But cost-rental tenants say they were not formally represented at the meeting, and no meaningful solutions were offered.

Some homeowners expressed frustration over what they say were written promises of “exclusive use” parking spaces in their contracts.

But without an enforcement system or clear management in place, those promises remain unenforceable.

And with the council refusing to take over the estate until the developers complete the necessary works, residents feel stuck in limbo, governed by no one and at the mercy of private clamping operators and unclear policies.

“The estate is turning toxic, and no one’s listening,” said one homeowner.

“It’s like we’ve all been left in limbo.”

For many, the emotional and social toll is becoming unbearable.

What started as inconvenience has become something deeper, more corrosive.

Friendships have fractured. Trust has eroded. Tensions rise each evening as people return from work or school, hoping in vain to find a space close to home.

One resident caring for a disabled family member described being verbally abused for using a space near their own front door.

Another told Southside People they regularly have to park several streets away and walk young children home through the rain.

“It’s not just frustrating, it’s exhausting,” said a local parent. “We don’t want to live like this.”

Others say the clamping policy has made matters worse.

With no clear way to register vehicles or prove residency, cars are being hit with fines indiscriminately.

Residents claim they were never given an opportunity to engage with the process or appeal the enforcement.

“We didn’t get letters, we didn’t get stickers, we didn’t even know CPMS were coming in until people started getting clamped,” said one renter.

Out of sheer frustration, many residents have now turned to local politicians, appealing for help in cutting through the confusion and bureaucracy.

Dublin Mid-West TD Mark Ward and former TD Paul Gogarty have both been contacted, with residents hoping they can apply political pressure to force a resolution.

“We’re tired of being ignored,” said Lalor.

“We’ve asked Mark and Paul to help us cut through the confusion and get answers because no one else is stepping in.”

Residents are now demanding urgent, practical steps, before the situation deteriorates any further.

Among the key demands: a permit or badge system to identify resident vehicles, an end to clamping without consultation, proper representation for all residents in estate matters, and a clear timeline for when South Dublin County Council will officially take over the estate.

They also want accountability from the developers, property managers, and housing bodies involved in the estate’s design and day-to-day running.

“It shouldn’t be like this,” said one resident. “This is a brand new estate. We moved here to build lives, not to fight every day over car spaces.”

As of now, though, many in Kilcarbery Grange say they feel let down, not just by those tasked with managing the estate, but by the system as a whole.

“We just want someone to take responsibility,” said Lalor. “That’s all. We’re not asking for the moon. We just want fairness, respect, and a place to park.”

Southside People contacted South Dublin County Council for a comment in relation to this article but had not received a response at the time of going to print.