€100 Million in Car Parking Receipts Since 2012 Underscore Need for Aontú Bill
On foot of car parking and clamping receipts received from the HSE, Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has highlighted the need for Aontú’s New Hospital Car Parking Charges Bill as Hospital Car Parks pull in millions in receipts.
An Teachta Tóibín:
“Since 2012, Hospital Car Parks across the country took in a little over €100 million in receipts from car parking and clamping charges. It would have been higher, and the receipts for 2020 would have been higher, were it not for the suspension of non-Covid healthcare services for the majority of 2020. Only nine acute Hospitals across the country provide free parking. What percentage of those parking charges are from Cancer Patients and other patients with serious long term illnesses? What percentage of those charges comes from seriously ill individuals who are already hammered with increased expenses relating to their illness and a fall in income? Hospitals are making millions from their car parks, with others pulling in hundreds of thousands. The response to my PQ explained that ‘Hospitals introduced car parking charges over the past decade to cover such services' costs without impacting the hospitals’ budget for patient services.’ Services in this case being car parks and related services. Is the mismanagement of funding within our Health Service really so poor that Hospitals have to charge patients for parking?”
“The Aontú Bill provides for an entitlement to free parking for up to three hours in the carpark of a public hospital, where an occupant of the vehicle (either the driver or a passenger) is attending the hospital to receive out-patient services. We urge the TDs of other parties to support the Aontú Bill through the Dáil as fast as possible. The Irish Cancer Society has also campaigned for a cut in hospital car parking charges. Paying car parking charges when you are attending out patients services or emergency services at your local hospital is an additional stress and pressure for many people. These charges are especially financially hard on cancer patients and patients who are critically ill, as many of them will have to regularly attend hospital for treatment. At the very least in our Health Service, cancer patients and critically ill patients should not have to worry about parking charges whilst they are in receiving vital treatment.”
Copy of Table for Helen Kelly 12.04.2021 (002) - PQ 16653 (1)
PQ 16653_21 Paedar Tobin re Car Parking
