Parking charges likely at hospital

March 1994

Visitors to Wexford General Hospital could be faced with having to pay charges for parking close to the hospital entrance, if a proposal to come before the South Eastern Health Board is accepted.

The problem with parking arrangements at the hospital was raised by Wexford based Councillor Leo Carthy at the Board’s monthly meeting. He felt that the present parking arrangements were ‘diabolical, to say the least’.

He commented that he had witnessed an old man with canes, who was soaked in torrential rain before reaching the door. This was not good enough, he said. A lot of money had been spent and they had a wonderful hospital, but the parking facilities there are not good, he added. ‘It is not good enough in this day and age,’ he stated.

He was supported by Cllr. Deirdre Bolger, also representing Wexford. Parking arrangements at the hospital are really disastrous, she commented.

The CEO, Mr John Cooney, stated that the difficulty arose at the hospital due to planning standards that there would be one parking space per bed. They all knew this was not practical and not working out, he commented.

He stated that the Board were going to do two things to remedy the situation. This involved planning and expanding the car park. They were also proposing to introduce charges for car parking close to the entrance of the building.

Responding to some concerns that this would place another financial burden on patients and visitors, he emphasised that the proposal was to charge for spaces close to the entrance only, and that other spaces, further away, would remain free. There would also be “set down” spaces close to the door where people could stop temporarily to let out an older or sick person there before proceeding to park in one of these free spaces.

He felt that the two measures would help to improve the matter considerably.