CALLS have been made to abolish hospital parking fees for patients and staff as it emerged that University Hospital Limerick (UHL) took in €1,411,400 for parking last year.
The figure puts UHL in sixth place for the highest parking take at Irish hospitals, while Cork University Hospital led the pack with over €2.3m in fees.
The area reserved for patients attending the cancer unit at UHL has free parking, but this is strictly controlled by means of registration of patients’ transport.
Labour’s social protection spokesperson and Kildare South TD Mark Wall said the government must move to abolish all parking charges for all public patients and healthcare staff in the forthcoming budget.
Deputy Wall said that “millions are being collected every year from patients and their families at public hospitals across Ireland when they use parking facilities. Abolishing these is a measure previously recommended by the Irish Cancer Society. Figures revealed to me show an eye-watering amount of money taken in annually by our major hospitals for parking.”
“It’s deeply unfair,” Deputy Wall hit out.
“So many people are already struggling to get the care they need and nobody is taking a day trip to a hospital. The thoughts of parking your car, most likely in a panic, only to come back to pay a massive parking ticket is just wrong.
“Healthcare staff like nurses and midwives who have worked long shifts may not have been able to access public transport and had to commute long distances with the only transport option being a car. This needs to be addressed.”
Commenting on figures locally, he added that “University Hospital Limerick took in €1,411,400 last year. It’s crazy stuff.”
In response, a hospital spokesman pointed out that “both oncology and dialysis patients are offered free parking in designated locations at UHL”.
The spokesman added that “there are no parking charges for patients and visitors at Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, Croom Hospital, and University Maternity Hospital Limerick”.
“Parking charges at UHL are €2 an hour for the first two hours, €1 an hour after two hours or €10 a day.
“Income for car parking services at UHL is recorded in the hospital’s income and expenditure account.”
