Where do your hospital car park fees go in Mayo?
Hospital management in the North West has defended car parking charges as a necessary part of hospital budgets, in response to renewed calls from a local councillor for the fees to be scrapped or capped.
Sligo Cllr Marie Casserly raised the issue on behalf of patient advocacy groups, who she said had been campaigning against hospital car parking charges for years. She argued the fees place an unfair financial burden on patients and families who are "already under enough financial pressures," and called for a breakdown of how the money collected is spent.
Responding on behalf of the HSE , J Fitzmaurice, Integrated Health Area Manager for Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and West Cavan, said income from car parking supports both the day-to-day running of car park facilities and planned upgrades to them. The charges, the response noted, also form part of the hospitals' overall budgetary income and are considered "a necessary revenue stream" to sustain car park operations.
Outlining a number of improvements planned for 2026, Mr Fitzmaurice said works would include an upgraded traffic management system to support patient drop-offs, and the installation of card payment machines to assist patients and families who do not have cash on hand.
He confirmed there would be no increase to long-term stay charges, and said waiver arrangements would be put in place for long-term users of hospital services and those who attend daily for treatment.
Other planned measures include upgraded signage across hospital campuses, improvements to staff parking, and continued monitoring of obstructive parking by traffic staff. The HSE said it would also continue supporting traffic flow around ongoing construction projects on hospital grounds.
Patient advocacy groups, including the Irish Cancer Society, have long campaigned for free hospital parking for patients attending appointments, arguing that charges add to the financial strain already faced by those dealing with serious illness.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme