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Minister Varadkar and Caroline Keyes pose for a photo at the announcement of the Clamping Bill

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has published the Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014 to ensure that all clamping activities are carried out in a fair and transparent manner, and to protect motorists and legitimate clamping companies, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government.

The Bill introduces consistency to clamping for the first time, whether it’s on public or private land. Legislation is already in place governing clamping on the public road and on land occupied by certain statutory bodies, but the new Bill will now also regulate clamping on private property.

It sets up a new regulatory regime, a simple two-step appeals process, a default maximum clamping release fee of €100 for private property, a code of practice for operators, and a new requirement that signs must always be displayed where clamping is in operation.

Speaking at the announcement, Minister Varadkar said:

There have been a number of cases where private clampers are reported to have behaved unfairly or inappropriately, so we are now regulating the entire clamping industry for the first time. I don’t favour an outright ban on clamping on private property, as business owners and apartment complex management companies need to be able to deal with nuisance parking. However, the practice must be regulated.

This Bill strikes the right balance between the competing rights of individual motorists who want fair play, the rights of people and businesses to deal with parking issues on their own land, and the responsibility of local councils to manage the finite resource of parking on the public road. Our goal is to ensure transparency for all forms of clamping at all times, and that due process is always followed.

The Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014 is available on the Houses of the Oireachtas website at: