€4 a day reduced hospital parking

There was good news for those receiving treatment or visiting loved ones at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital as the HSE has revealed it is offering a reduced parking fee of €4 a day.

The hospital has confirmed that it offers reduced parking fee arrangements where parents, relatives or service users are attending the hospital on a frequent basis and where the burden of car parking charges may cause or increase hardship.

Responding to a Parliamentary Question submitted by Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster, the hospital confirmed the reduced parking rate offered is a flat fee of €4 per day, regardless of length of stay or number of visits on a given day.

Hospital Management advise that in such cases the ward manager or social worker dealing with the patient or their family will make them aware of the provision of such arrangements and arrange for the appropriate process to be put in place.

However, Ms Munster believes that it is not good enough to expect the already hard pushed hospital staff to be in a position to ensure that patients and their families are aware of this arrangement. ‘If they genuinely want people to avail of this facility then they need to be upfront and pro-active about it. ‘In the interests of transparency, I have contacted the hospital management requesting that they advertise the availability of the €4 flat fee strategically in Car Parks, at the Parking Pay Zones and at Reception.’