Hospital Parking Fees Hit €17.8M, Up 140% in Four Years

The HSE attributes the revenue rise to a return to normal activity after the Covid-19 pandemic. Opposition politicians and patient advocacy groups say reform is overdue.

Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane, who requested the data, said the system punishes people for being sick. “Patients and families are paying the price. No one chooses cancer, dialysis or a long hospital stay,” he said. “Parents visiting sick children, carers and people with disabilities are being hit again and again. Hospitals should not depend on money taken from sick people and their families.” He called for a single national policy and a phased end to charges.

The Irish Cancer Society reiterated its demand for hospitals to waive parking fees for cancer patients. CEO Nikki Gallagher said patients in some hospitals can pay up to €300 a month on parking alone to access treatment. “Some hospitals charge nothing or have concession rates for cancer patients, which while welcome, results in unfairness,” she said. “Government can provide the solution by abolishing hospital parking charges for all cancer patients. It is time for action.”

University Hospital Limerick saw the steepest percentage increase. Parking revenue there rose to €1.44m in 2025 from €446,787 in 2021 – a 221.8% jump. A hospital spokesperson said there had been no increase in parking charges between 2021 and 2025. The revenue rise, they said, “reflects a combination of factors; including increased patient and visitor activity on the UHL campus following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, a return to normal hospital operations, and increased demand for parking associated with the continued growth in activity at UHL.” The funds cover operational costs such as security, maintenance, lighting, and barrier systems.

The Department of Health said work is ongoing to reduce charges as per the Programme for Government commitment. “The Secretary General of the Department of Health and the HSE CEO are currently engaging directly on the issue, in order to progress any further opportunities that will ease the burden for those most affected,” a spokesperson said. “The majority of hospitals also have some form of exemptions or concessions in place such as the option of flexible day pass/multi-trip entry, or various concessions based on the type of patient.”

HSE Finance Manager Sarah Anderson, in a letter to Cullinane, said hospitals introduced parking charges over the past decade to recover the costs of providing and maintaining facilities without diverting funds from patient services. “As demand for the hospital parking has increased, so too have the associated costs. These include initial capital expenditure for the acquisition or leasing of parking areas, the development of additional parking capacity, the provision and enhancement of security systems, staffing requirements and the ongoing maintenance of car parking facilities,” she wrote.