The outsourcing of car park facilities at public hospitals is just another example of the creeping privatisation of our health service, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s spokesperson on health, said:
“We learned this weekend that the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has cancelled a tender for the new car park at the children’s hospital after several operators withdrew from the process.
“While this latest hitch could potentially lead to further delays to the opening of the National Children’s Hospital, it raises wider issues about the State handing over the running of car parks at public hospitals to private operators.
“This rampant outsourcing of essential hospital facilities directly contradicts the underlying principles of Sláintecare.
“In 2018, the then Minister for Health Simon Harris requested a national review of car parking charges, which showed that 16 hospitals used third parties to operate and manage their car parks.
“We should not be handing over any more of our car parks to private companies, yet the NPHDB had invited tenders to run the car park at the National Children’s Hospital on a 30-year contract basis.
“Although car parking fees will reportedly be capped at €10 per day at the children’s hospital, why has there been no progress on implementing a nationwide cap? The point must also be made that this daily amount still places a considerable financial burden on those who need to visit hospital patients on a repeated basis.
“A mandatory cap at all public hospitals was included in the 2020 programme for government but remains undelivered. As things stand, it is up to individual hospitals to introduce their own cap on car parking charges.
“The new programme for government is vague on this issue and only commits to exploring further ways to reduce hospital car parking charges.
“The Minister must clarify if the government now intends to make good on previous commitments to introduce a nationwide cap on car parking charges at public hospitals and take steps to end the ongoing privatisation of our health service. In addition, an examination of the feasibility of removing parking fees at hospitals and other healthcare settings altogether should also be considered.”
March 3, 2025