Cork's CUH generated almost €12m from car park since 2020

Cork University Hospital (CUH) has seen the highest amount of revenue generated from parking fees across Ireland since 2020, according to the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Irish people spent a record €17.7m on car parking charges at public and voluntary hospitals in 2025, representing an increase of almost 120% within a five-year period.

This increase comes despite a commitment made in the Programme for Government last year to "explore further ways to reduce hospital car parking charges".

The data shows that nationally, €8.1m was spent on parking fees in 2020, €7.3m in 2021, €10.6m in 2022, €13.4m in 2023, and €16.1m in 2024.

The hospital with the highest spend recorded within this five-year period was Cork University Hospital (CUH), with a combined spend of €11.9m.

However, according to the HSE, CUH's revenue includes staff parking charges deducted through payroll, representing around €100,000 per year.

Other hospitals with notably high spends within this period include €8.8m spent at St James’s Hospital Dublin, €5.95m at Beaumont Hospital Dublin, €5.91m at University Hospital Limerick, €5.4m at University Hospital Galway, and €5.1m at Waterford Regional Hospital.

In 2025, CUH continued to generate the highest amount of revenue from parking fees with €2.7m made, representing an average daily spend of over €7,300 at the facility.

The hospital was also the only facility in Ireland to generate an annual revenue in excess of €1m from parking fees between 2020 and 2025, with an additional €1.38m generated within this timeframe.

This compares to €851,293 made at St James’s Hospital Dublin, which had the second highest spend in 2025, at €1.9m.

Elsewhere in Cork, money generated from parking fees at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) also saw a significant increase within this five-year period, jumping from €118,452 made in 2020 to €384,033 made in 2025.

Sinn Féin Cork East TD, Pat Buckley said hospital car parking charges are “a charge on being sick and visiting families and friends in hospital”.

“No one chooses to be sick or to have a sick child in hospital,” said Mr Buckley.

“Yet patients and families in Cork are being asked to pay these charges again and again.

“People with disabilities, carers and families visiting loved ones in hospital are also being hit.

“The amount being raised through hospital parking has increased dramatically,” he added.

“Hospitals should not have to depend on money collected from sick people and their families."