Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for letting me speak as I was late to the Order of Business. I previously called for the rolling out of hospital car parking guidelines for seriously ill patients and for a consistent service to be provided across the country for families when a member of their family is very seriously ill and they accrue major costs for car parking. There have been several studies discussed in the media and reports of hospitals making high incomes from car parking, which I am sure they rely on.

I would like to make proposals to the Minister and hope that I will have the opportunity to make them in this House in the near future. I propose that a designated member of staff be appointed in all hospitals to deal with cases where car parking concessions are required for patients with long-term illness. At the moment in many hospitals it is the nurse manager who takes care of this. No more than any other nurse, even if they are a manager, they have little time to deal with this as a priority. That person would then grant the concession of free parking to certain patients and their families. It would be very beneficial to people in those circumstances. I also propose that such concessions be advertised and displayed. In certain hospitals where these concessions exist people have so much on their minds with the illness of a family member that they do not realise it exists. I renew my call to the Minister to roll out guidelines for hospitals in this area, and in particular to take these suggestions on board.