A Galway priest has described car-clampers who penalise people going to Mass as 'miserable, mean-spirited mini Hitlers'.
Fr Dick Lyng of the Augustinian church in the city made his comments after a number of elderly parishioners had their cars clamped while attending Mass in the city centre on one of the worst weather days of the year.
The parishioners had parked close to the church on St Augustine Street on Sunday, December 2nd, during strong winds and heavy rain. Clamps were placed on the cars while the owners were at Mass, and two people in their 70s had to wait for up to an hour to have their cars released. Both were fined an €80 clamping charge.
Fr Lyng made his comments in his latest parish newsletter, and described it as "a despicable, mean thing to do. There was no traffic at that hour of the morning because nobody was moving that day.
"The clampers would have known that these people were inside the church. They are around the streets all the time and know everything that moves," he wrote.
A survey conducted by the Augustinian priests two years ago had shown that the church had lost up to 30 per cent of its Mass goers because of parking problems in the city centre. That problem had been solved by the church being given the use of the Lombard St car park.
A spokesperson for the clamping company said he could not comment as the company operated under Galway City Council.
A City Council spokesperson said it was investigating the matter, and was awaiting a report from the clampers. At least one of the priority disabled spaces was occupied at the time of the incident, the spokesperson said.