By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News Health Desk | Sunday 6 July 2025
Patients, staff, and visitors paid nearly €19 million in parking fees at Irish hospitals last year — with seven facilities generating over €1 million each in revenue, newly released figures show.
Cork University Hospital topped the list, collecting more than €2.3 million in 2024 alone.
The data, obtained by Labour TD Mark Wall through a parliamentary question, has reignited debate around the financial burden on patients and healthcare workers accessing essential services.
Speaking on Newstalk radio, Deputy Wall criticised the scale of the charges and called on Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to intervene. “The government must foot the bill.
I don’t think anyone is opposed to reasonable charges to maintain car parks,” he said. “But €2.3 million from just one hospital? That would maintain a lot of parking facilities.”
He described the situation as emblematic of a wider issue with the “cost of being sick,” calling it “unacceptable” that public hospitals are bringing in millions in parking revenue from people at “their lowest ebb.”
While the government previously promised to introduce measures to reduce or eliminate parking fees for long-term patients and hospital staff, progress has been slow. Campaigners argue that daily charges — which in some hospitals exceed €15 — place an undue financial strain on people receiving treatment or visiting seriously ill relatives.
The HSE has defended the charges in the past, noting that car park operations are often managed through private contractors and that fees go toward facility maintenance and hospital funding.
However, Deputy Wall insists that public healthcare access should not be tied to financial barriers. “These aren’t optional visits. They’re necessary. Nobody should be worrying about coins for a parking meter while dealing with illness,” he said.
The Labour Party is expected to push for legislative changes when the Dáil reconvenes later this summer.
Editing by M10News Health Desk | Contact: info@m10news.com
© 2025 M10News.
