South Dublin County Council is currently engaged in two separate but complementary pilot initiatives aimed at improving the accessibility and management of disabled parking across the County.

Blue Badge App Pilot

The Council is progressing a pilot project to develop an app for registered Blue Badge holders, intended to provide real-time information on the availability of accessible parking spaces. This pilot initially covers 19 identified locations across the County and is focused on improving access to information for people with disabilities and supporting more efficient use of existing disabled parking provision.

Following the initial deployment of sensors, safety concerns were identified in relation to surface-mounted units. These issues are being addressed through the replacement of sensors with flush-mounted alternatives in order to mitigate any risk of slips or trips. The pilot remains under review, with learnings informing both accessibility outcomes and future design decisions.

Access Earth (SPACES) Pilot

In addition, the Council is participating in a demonstration pilot with Access Earth under the SPACES project. This separate pilot involves the temporary installation of sensors in a limited number of accessible parking bays, with the primary purpose of assessing patterns of use and misuse of accessible parking spaces and evaluating the technical and operational viability of sensor-based monitoring in a local authority context.

The SPACES pilot does not include the development of a public-facing real-time availability app. A dashboard is provided solely for Council staff during the pilot period to confirm that systems are functioning as intended and to support evaluation activity. The pilot does not alter existing parking enforcement arrangements, and no commitment has been made to wider deployment beyond the pilot phase. Any future progression would be subject to a separate decision and procurement process.

Both initiatives are being approached as time-bound pilots, with a strong focus on safety, accessibility, operational learning, and compliance with the EU GDPR and Irish Data Protection Acts. Elected Members will be advised in due course of any formal launches and of decisions to progress either initiative beyond the proof-of-concept stage.