Hospital car park takings ‘more than doubled’ in four years, Sligo Council meeting told

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Charging for parking at Sligo University Hospital has been descibed as being unfair on patients and families.

The September meeting of Sligo County Council heard calls for car parking fees at the hospital.

In a motion before the meeting, Cllr Thomas Healy called on the Local Authority to, write to the Government seeking replacement funding and to phase out hospital car parking charges,.

He said patients and families should not be charged simply because they needed healthcare.

Cllr Healy said the money gathered from hospital car parking charges had more than doubled over the past four years and this was a huge expense on patients and families at often very difficult and distressing times.

He criticised the rate at which parking charges have increased, commenting, “In Sligo we have seen a massive tenfold increase in money gathered from hospital parking charges, €556,000 in 2025 alone. This Government has completely failed in its promise to reduce car parking charges as it had outlined in the programme for government.”

Highlighting the variance in parking rates at hospitals throughout the country, Cllr Healy remarked, “We need a single national contract, operated by the HSE across all publicly funded hospitals so at least we have a level playing field. We then need a strategic approach to gradually reducing charges to a stage where they can be phased out.

“According to RTE there are nine hospitals out of 36 throughout the country who do not charge for parking at all. This is an unfair and unequal service that punishes people for being sick and it is high time for a full reform of it.”

Cllr Donal Gilroy agreed that charges should be reduced but took issue with the idea of scrapping them altogether saying, “If you make parking free it would be overrun; it would become an overflow from the ATU.”

Cllr Gilroy referred to an experiment a number of years ago where free Christmas parking was introduced in Sligo saying, “If you put a free car park on The Mall, you are going to have it used for every reason.

“I do believe the charges should be fairer, they should be reduced, but I can’t support it being for free,” he said.

Cllr Edel McSharry pointed out that, “the programme for government didn’t commit to free parking; it committed to exploring how to reduce charges.”

In the aftermath of Monday’s monthly meeting it was announced by the HSE that a review will be carried out into hospital car parking charges, which was welcomed by Cllr Marie Casserly.

The carpark at Sligo University Hospital

“I welcome the news that the HSE has ordered a review of hospital car parking charges. This is an issue I have raised on numerous occasions over the years, including through the most recent Regional Health Forum meeting, where I secured a commitment that the matter would be reviewed.”

Cllr Casserly stated that hospital car parking charges can be a significant burden on those in hospital for treatment and for those visiting loved ones.

“Hospital car parking is an issue that affects patients, families, visitors and staff every day. For someone attending hospital regularly for treatment, travelling to support a loved one, or working long shifts in our hospitals, parking charges can become a significant additional cost.”

“People attending our hospitals are often already dealing with difficult and stressful circumstances. The last thing they should have to worry about is whether they can afford to park their car.”

Cllr Casserly stressed the issues regarding car park charges at hospitals is more than just the cost the involved insisting that she will continue to pursue the matter through the Regional Health Forum in order to ascertain what outcomes will follow as a result of the upcoming review.

“I have consistently argued that we need to look at the whole issue of hospital parking, not just the amount being charged, but also the impact those charges have on patients and families, how the income is generated and where that income goes.”

“I am pleased that the commitment secured through the Regional Health Forum is now being reflected in a wider HSE review. This is exactly why it is important that local representatives continue to raise issues that matter to patients and communities.”

“I will continue to follow this review through the Regional Health Forum and will be seeking clarity on its scope, its findings and, more importantly, what action will follow from it.

“Hospital parking should never become a barrier to accessing healthcare, and I hope this review will lead to a fairer and more consistent approach across our hospitals,” said Cllr Casserly.

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.