THE NATIONAL TRANSPORT Authority (NTA) is in the process of procuring the services of two clamping appeals officers to rule on over 2,000 cases per year where motorists appeal against the clampers.

Those selected to do the job must be “of good character” and be “familiar with the rules of natural justice and fair procedure”.

Those employed must also be “guided solely” by the “principles of impartiality, fairness and consistency of approach”. 

The contract on offer from the NTA is for an initial two years, with the option of a further two.

Tens of thousands of vehicles are clamped in Ireland every year, but only a small proportion of them are appealed.

According to documents released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act, the number of vehicles clamped from 1 January 2018 to 30 September 2018 in Dublin city was 33,798.

And, of the 1,763 cases that were appealed, 992 were successful.

When someone has unsuccessfully appealed being clamped in the first instance, they can make a further appeal which will end up at the desk of the clamping appeals officer at the NTA.

The officer will then have to request the original file related to the clamping and consider the appeal. Where necessary, they may have to carry out site visits or interview the motorist or clamper concerned.

They must then consider all relevant evidence including witness statements, documents, receipts, maps, plans, photos or video recordings before producing a full report on the case which outlines their decision.

The NTA said that it expects the annual volume of appeals against clampers to be in the region of 2,000 – 2,750 cases, with a further 100 – 200 complaints. 

It said: “By way of indication, it is currently anticipated that successful tenderers will be required to provide services on average 2-4 days a month, although on occasion more may be required.”

Also included in the required skills and attributes for the clamping appeals officer is the ability to apply common sense to make decisions, and be able to consider differing accounts before reaching a balanced conclusion.

An NTA spokesperson told TheJournal.ie that it couldn’t give details on how much the officers would be paid, as that is contingent on the amount of appeals that is dealt with.

The deadline for responding to this tender is noon on Monday 28 January 2019.