Fresh calls have been made to Dublin City Council to ease parking restrictions, with retailers saying "over-enthusiastic clamping" is hurting business.

This time the calls came from shop and business owners in Rathmines, who claimed parking enforcers were making €1,000 a week from a section of the Lower Rathmines road.

Rathmines retailers are the latest in a host of business owners around the country to say clamping is hurting their business.

While things are unlikely to change just yet, other countries might get some reprieve this week, with more than 500 delegates representing car park operators, public authorities and clamping equipment suppliers expected in Dublin for the European Parking Association conference.

Funnily, one of the topics they will be discussing is whether paid-for parking is killing the high street.

It has been calculated that the parking control industry could be worth more than €20 billion and employ 500,000 people.

The conference, which is taking place in the Convention Centre on Wednesday, will also look at innovative parking solutions for Dublin.