Fears that free parking at hospital would be abused

CLLR MacSharry said there were large budgets available to the Department of Health and the HSE to allow them to take this decision to abolish parking charges.

Cllr MacSharry was supported by Cllr Marie Casserly who said she believed there was a budget to allow for free car parking. She said the hospitals should not be supplemented by people who are ill and vulnerable. She said the free car parking system could be easily monitored to ensure it was not taken advantage of and there would not be people parking up for the day in a hospital park.

Cllr Martin Baker said being realistic he wouldn’t like to see the chaos which would ensue at Sligo University Hospital car park if no charges were levied.

Cllr Michael Clarke said that while he disagreed with the motion, he would agree with asking the hospital to send out a barcode with every appointment that would allow people to get into a free section of the hospital car park. “However, to remove all charges would only turn the hospital car park into a car park for the city of Sligo and would not work,” he said.

Cllr Dónal Gilroy said there should be special car parking places for patients who need to use the hospital regularly but he added: “It costs money to run the car park, it costs money to fill the potholes in it. Abolish is the wrong word, I don’t have a problem with a review of the charges.”

Cllr Arthur Gibbons said he agreed with the sentiments he had heard. “But we have to be realistic, if it’s free everyone will be in there using it.”

Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady said there were exceptions already for some regular users of the hospital: “It’s lovely to call for something that is free, but I don’t think it is a runner, we will have to continue with the charges.”

Cllr Dara Mulvey said his fear that if left free cars would be left “abandoned” there. He said it would be hard to regulate.

Cllr MacSharry said the Irish Cancer Society had been campaigning for 1o years for the abolition of parking charges at hospitals. He said there is a very strong argument to be made for the abolition of those charges adding: “I wouldn’t equate the fact that there are