Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil léi as teacht isteach chun an cheist seo a fhreagairt.

I want to raise the issue of hospital car parking charges for cancer patients across the hospital network. A cancer diagnosis is a traumatic and life-changing event. Among many things it can incur, it can perhaps mean someone has to give up their work, resulting in a lack of income for the individual and their family. To add to the hurt, they then have to fork out serious prices for hospital parking charges when they are getting treatment for their cancer.

I acknowledge some hospitals have, off their own bat, allowed free or subsidised parking for some of these patients in question. The Irish Cancer Society, however, has called for the HSE, Health Service Executive, and the Minister to take a lead on this and issue guidelines to all hospitals to ensure clarity on this particular issue across the hospital network. For example, when someone gets their first letter about their cancer treatment, it should identify where the free car parking spots in the hospital are located.

This Irish Cancer Society has had a campaign on this particular issue for some time, seeking a meeting with the Minister on it. Unfortunately, that meeting has not been forthcoming. Will the Minister of State take this issue on board and give us a commitment that this issue will be examined? As a first step along that road, will she make commitment this morning to meet with the Irish Cancer Society so that a programme can be put in place to ensure our citizens who are going through the traumatic and life-changing experience of dealing with cancer do not have to worry about car parking charges, which in some cases can go up to €800 a month?