However, while shoppers do not have to pay for parking, they are expected to comply with two-hour restrictions, which councillors said are not being enforced because the local authority does not employ a traffic warden in the town.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the East Cork Municipal District Council by Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern, who runs an auctioneering business in Midleton.

She said several business owners in the town had expressed serious concerns about the situation.

While the town centre and council-run car parks are free to use, they are all subject to a two-hour bylaw limit.

Ms Ahern said that because the restrictions are not being enforced, some motorists are occupying premium parking spaces for the entire day.

As a result, many shoppers are driving around the town for extended periods searching for parking, adding to gridlock on an already overburdened road network.

Ms Ahern also warned that shoppers unable to find parking in Midleton may choose to go elsewhere, negatively affecting local businesses.

She noted that before the abolition of Midleton Town Council in 2014, a traffic warden had been employed to enforce parking regulations and that the system had worked effectively.

Ms Ahern urged senior council officials to carry out a business case review to determine whether employing a traffic warden would be financially viable. She said she believed it would prove cost-effective.

“I am not necessarily saying that a person should be employed full-time to di this. It might be better if that person is employed on a part-time basis over a couple of hours a week on different rotating days of the week. That might have an even better impact as motorists won’t know when they might arrive. I believe the fines issued would pay for that employment and would be a positive step to addressing this issue,” Ms Ahern said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Mulcahy said that while Youghal operates a paid parking system, a review should also be carried out there regarding similar overstaying issues.

Noreen Brennan, the senior local authority official for the East Cork region, said the council had recently appointed a new senior executive officer with responsibility for parking matters. She said she would pass the councillors’ requests for a review of parking in both towns to him.