Cork lacking camper van sites, says MEP

Local authorities, such as Cork County Council, have been accused of burying their heads in the sand by not providing serviced parking sites for camper vans in areas where there are no commercial camping sites.

Fianna Fáil’s Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, a member of the EU Tourism Taskforce, said an opportunity was being missed by the failure to provide sites for and regulate campervan tourism in Ireland as is done on continental Europe.

She said that Cork County Council, along with other local authorities, should be granting more planning permissions for facilities for camper vans and suggested it would be a good idea to invest in municipal campervan parks where no private facilities existed.

Ireland was way behind the rest of Europe when it came to facilities for campervans and this was leading to a situation where they were parking illegally at beaches and in public carparks, causing annoyance and friction with local residents in coastal communities.

“I would like to see more planning permissions given to camping and caravan parks and more supports for private existing campsites,” said the MEP.

“Where no private facilities exist, local authorities should invest in modern basic facilities for campervan tourists that will allow them to dispose of waste, have showers, get water and power.

“Charge them a small fee for using these municipal camper van parks and reinvest that money back into the park,” she suggested.

The MEP described the presence of campervans as an eyesore on beaches, but asked where were the tourists in these vehicles dumping their waste, grey water, and sewage, and where they were getting their water and sanitation.

“Camper van tourists spend money in the local restaurant, the local shop, and buy groceries in the local supermarket,” she said.

“They are a valuable part of our tourism offering and we should have specific facilities that they can use and stay in the area.”

She added that she would be urging the EU Tourism Commissioner to consider European Union supports for the provision of basic campervan facilities across Europe to cater for what she said had become an increasingly popular form of tourism since the Covid pandemic.