Hospital workers in Dublin city to be offered low-cost parking

Hospital staff are to be offered low-cost parking facilities in Dublin city centre following the end of their clamping exemption at the end of this month, Dublin City Council has said.

Since March, hospital workers in Dublin city have been exempt from paying parking charges when they use on-street parking in the vicinity of a hospital or health centre. However, council chief executive Owen Keegan last week said the measure would be discontinued at the end of the month.

Instead, 500 parking spaces will be available to hospital workers in three city centre car parks at a maximum cost of €5 per space per day.

From next month, 400 parking spaces will be allocated for such workers in the Ilac car park, and a combined total of 100 spaces in the Drury Street and Dawson Street car parks.

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Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu said the €5 maximum charge was "very affordable" and "well below the current market rate for secure off-street car parking in the city centre".

The detailed arrangements for accessing these spaces will be worked out between relevant hospital management and the car park operators, the city council said. The arrangement will be reviewed after six months.

Up to now staff who displayed a copy of an ID card or a note on hospital or GP practice letterhead paper in their vehicle would not be clamped by the council’s parking enforcement services. The council said in March it was taking this approach in line with Government requirements to assist healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Difficulties for residents

Mr Keegan last week said the measure would end on August 31st because of the difficulties it was causing for residents living near hospitals.

“It has been decided, with considerable regret, that the enforcement concession in respect of HSE staff parking in the vicinity of hospitals cannot be sustained,” he said.

“A decision has now been made that the concession will end on August 31st, after which a full parking enforcement service will operate in the vicinity of hospitals.”

The parking concession was “always intended to be a temporary measure”, Mr Keegan said.

“At the time it was introduced it was not a major issue in the various locations where it applied, as there was limited demand for on-street parking. However, with the resumption in economic activity there has been a significant recovery in traffic volumes and in on-street parking demand,” he said.

“This has led to a situation where residents with residents’ parking permits, living in the vicinity of major hospitals, cannot access on-street parking at or close to their homes at certain times.”