Visitors to the countryside are being urged to park responsibly and use official parking.

With the country's green spaces and beauty spots attracting more visitors as the summer approaches and travel restrictions are eased, road safety officials are reminding people not to cause any obstruction when parking.

According to Mayo County Council's road safety officer Noel Gibbons, poor and inconsiderate parking not only causes problems for emergency vehicles, but it can lead to inconvenience for other road users and pedestrians, along with harming wildlife and the countryside itself.

He advises: "People should only park in official carparks and parking spaces and should not park on grass verges or block roads.

"Inconsiderate parking has caused considerable obstructions on roads, which can make it difficult for emergency vehicles and farm traffic to pass to conduct their livelihood.

"If you are visiting the countryside, please consider the people who live there as well as other visitors."

As the country looks forward to an outdoor summer and with more and more people appreciating their locality, a "common sense approach to tackle increased littering" is being called for.

Labour Senator Mark Wall said that local councils must be empowered to prosecute littering and illegal dumping which will serve as a deterrent, but the public must have access to better facilities to dispose of their waste.

“Lockdown and restrictions have shown us all the beauty of our communities under our nose all this time," the senator said.

"We’re enjoying watching the seasons change, hearing the birds singing and actually stopping to smelling the roses.

"That said, it’s no surprise to see bins flooding with waste as there are simply not enough bins in communities throughout the country, an issue that should be addressed without delay."