The introduction of paid parking at Merlin Park Hospital should be postponed until construction at the entire site has been completed, the Regional Health Forum was told this week.
Cllr Shane Forde said that the commencement of paid-for parking could have been better communicated and that it was disappointing that elected councillors had to hear it on radio rather than being told directly beforehand.
He said that the charges for parking should be capped at a maximum daily rate of €5 and he said that the public are infuriated that this service has been introduced.
In response, Ann Cosgrove, Integrated Health Area Manager, Galway/Roscommon said that the public who are using this are the same people who would have been paying parking charges at UHG if their appointments had remained at that campus.
She said that the car park adjacent to the Outpatients building has been designated as a patient parking area and there are two ‘Pay and Display’ machines in operation at this carpark. Parking charges will be aligned to those currently in operation at University Hospital Galway.
“The managing company will implement parking control measures and their staff are in place to assist patients and healthcare staff on the site. Additional parking will be provided in the near future on the site as part of the Surgical Hub project,” she said, adding that the provision of pai- for parking spaces is to ensure that spaces are left for patients who need to use the hospital,” she added.
