Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has called on the Minister for Health to act to cap and reduce hospital parking charges.

He said that further delay was unacceptable and unnecessary, and that charges could be reduced and capped while the HSE puts in place a plan to “significantly reduce or abolish them without unintended consequences”. 

Teachta Cullinane said:

“The Government’s foot-dragging on capping hospital parking charges has left thousands of patients who regularly attend hospital seriously out of pocket. This particularly impacts people with cancer and other conditions that require frequent hospital attendance.

“It is a Programme for Government commitment to cap parking charges. It is an important part of reducing the cost of healthcare and it shouldn’t take five or more years to do this. There has been a review and a implementation plan from the HSE, and I am calling on the Government to get on with it. 

“While the HSE has raised concerns about unintended consequences of abolish charges, that is not an excuse to continue delaying reducing and capping them. 

“Sinn Féin has continuously provided for reducing and capping charges in our Alternative Budget. We are committed to finding a workable solution for abolishing parking charges for patients and significantly reducing the cost of healthcare in any way possible.”