Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)

My second point, while not bad news, relates to waiting times. They are a challenge in every hospital. I represent east Galway where the main hospital, like all of County Galway, is University Hospital Galway, as well as Merlin Park hospital just down the road. One of the problems I see and have encountered, especially for those who have to visit these hospitals regularly, is the maxed-out car park. That is a massive problem for us at University Hospital Galway. I have observed at times the car park maxed out and queues of cars waiting to get in. As a consequence, some cars were spilling on to a busy junction. Some had to park elsewhere. As a consequence of that, I hear stories of people missing appointments or not being on time for appointments. I am referencing this to find out whether there are any plans to address what I consider to be, at times, a chronic issue. Of course, like every other hospital, there are times when it is not as big a challenge. Is consideration being given to the issue of car parking and how it might be remedied in order to give some comfort to people? This issue affects elderly people as well as young people bringing elderly relatives in. Not being able to find a car parking space leads to frustration. I am not going to go on much further. The questions I was considering earlier have all been asked. Therefore, I thought I would say a word of thanks, as well as ask that question.