Review ordered into hospital car parks as revenue doubles

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has commissioned a review into hospital car parking charges after revenues from these fees more than doubled over a four-year period. Irish hospital patients and visitors spent a record €17.76 million on car park fees at public and voluntary hospitals in 2025, compared to €7.39 million in 2021, marking a 140% increase.

The HSE's acting Chief Executive Officer, Damian McCallion, stated that the review will examine reasons behind the revenue surge and propose a nationwide coordinated approach for parking fees. Presently, individual hospitals operate their own local arrangements, lacking a single national contract for car-parking services. The review, led by Brian O’Connell, National Director and Head of Strategic Health Infrastructure and Capital Delivery, will focus on four key areas: national policy approach, financial implications of proposed changes, sustainable funding options, and implementation of a new regime.

It also aims to explore potential unintended consequences of changes, such as making hospital car parks attractive to non-hospital users. The review follows a similar exercise in 2018 and guidance issued in 2019. The chair of the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee, John Brady, questioned the necessity of the new review, arguing that the issue demands urgent attention, especially considering the financial burden on patients and families.

The Department of Health claims to be working on reducing charges as part of their Programme for Government commitment, but the matter remains controversial.