Cork hospital car parks took in more than €3m in charges last year

Cork hospitals took in more than €3.1m in car parking charges last year, up 4.5% from 2024.

However, despite plans for a new multi-storey car park at the Cork University Hospital (CUH), the number of parking spaces on the campus will not be increased.

Figures show that €2,782,376 was spent on car parking at the CUH campus last year, with a further €384,033 taken in by South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital.

Monies raised from car parking fees form part of the hospital budget, which includes car park maintenance and upgrades.

The Mercy University Hospital does not have any car park facilities, and there are no car parking charges at either Mallow and Bantry general hospitals.

Increased

The data shows that parking income increased by 5% year-on-year at CUH from €2.6m in 2024, while across both Cork hospitals, the increase amounts to an extra €372 a day.

It comes as the HSE recently announced that as part of its 2026 capital plan, €482,804 would be used to progress through design feasibility stage plans for a new multi-storey car park at CUH, in front of cardiac renal centre, with capacity for at least 500 vehicles.

In April of last year, a HSE spokesperson told The Echo: “We understand the current [parking] difficulties at CUH, and we apologise. A multi-storey car park is part of the hospital’s future development plan, and this will provide spaces for both the public and staff.”

However, rather than providing additional parking, the multi-storey will “compensate for spaces to be consumed by ongoing capital projects on campus”, the capital plan states.

Existing parking

Asked by The Echo how much existing parking would be lost, a HSE spokesperson said the strategy and delivery of the multi-storey car park will be determined when the development control plan for CUH is finalised.

“The development control plan for CUH Campus will be completed in Q2 2026 and will be initially circulated to service colleagues and the Department of Health,” it stated.

“Any further publication plans will be decided at that stage.”

Fianna Fáil promised in its 2020 manifesto to scrap hospital car parking fees, at a cost of €12m, while Fine Gael said it would cap it at a daily rate of €10. The programme for government includes a promise to “explore further ways to reduce hospital car parking charges”.

Broken promises

Cork Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, who obtained the parking charge data, said the figures represented broken promises from the Government.

“We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis,” said Mr Gould. 

"People can’t afford to pay. I have been contacted by people who’ve had to reduce the time spent with loved ones or borrow to pay for their own trips to hospital.

“For many people in Cork, the unreliability of buses means they’ve no choice but to drive to the CUH. 

"They will miss appointments otherwise. The car park in CUH is already at capacity. We need to see these spaces increasing.”