More than 300 extra parking spaces planned for Letterkenny hospital campus
Almost 150 extra parking spaces are planned around Letterkenny University Hospital and St Conal’s as pressure on parking for staff and visitors continues.
Plans are in place for around 100 new spaces at St Conal's and a further 45 to 50 spaces at LUH itself.
Approximately 180 spaces are to be installed at the new Community Nursing Unit.
The update came from the hospital after Councillor Ciaran Brogan called for urgent progress on parking, describing the current situation as a "huge issue" for the hospital.
There are currently over 1,100 car park spaces on the campus, including 105 spaces in a dedicated patient/visitor short-term car park, 4 dedicated “Older Persons” parking bays and almost 50 disabled parking bays.
Cllr Brogan said an on-site meeting had taken place with Donegal Integrated Healthcare Area Manager Dermot Monaghan and hospital management at the end of July, but progress since then had been slow.
Cllr Brogan said plans, which he understood were due to be completed by early September, were still outstanding.
"I think it's important that we leave no stone unturned to try and make sure that we have additional car parking for the long-term needs of the hospital, because it's a huge issue at the moment," he told the September meeting of the Regional Health Forum.
Cllr Brogan asked "every opportunity" be explored to try and extend the car parking facilities on the hospital campus.
The HSE's written response outlined plans for 100 additional car parking spaces at St Conal's by the end of 2026, alongside around 180 spaces at the new Community Nursing Unit, which is due to begin opening on a phased basis by year-end.
Another 20 to 25 extra spaces will open at LUH following the removal of a construction compound, with another 25 expected after works at the hospital's Energy Centre are completed by the end of this year.
"We understand the difficulties that confined car parking brings both patients, visitors and staff in relation to what's available presently," said Amanda Doyle, Head of Service Primary Care CHO1.
"We're working very closely with Estates to optimise every opportunity we have to provide parking, be it on-site or as close to the site as possible," Ms Doyle said.
In a written response, Niall Colleary, Assistant National Director, Capital & Estates, said that the new Active Travel project being delivered by Donegal County Council on the Kilmacrennan Road and the Circular Road is creating new bus stops for both Local Link and Town Link buses, and this will provide additional opportunities for staff and members of the public to use the public transport network to attend the hospital.
The expansion plans come as separate HSE figures show a sharp rise in car-parking income at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Parking income at LUH rose from €178,659 in 2024 to €402,492 in 2025, an increase of €223,833 and more than double the previous year's figure. The 2025 statutory hospital figures are draft and subject to audit.
Income from the car park at LUH is spent on patient services and maintenance and reinvestment in parking facilities.
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