Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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186. To ask the Minister for Health the rationale for imposing parking fees at the new children’s hospital; if he will revise this stance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21238/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Arrangements in hospitals for car parking generally is an operational matter for the HSE. The HSE has advised that income from car parking charges in most statutory hospitals and some voluntary hospitals forms an integral part of the hospitals budgetary policy and is invested back into services provided at the hospitals. Income is also used to fund the upgrade and upkeep of the car parks, including security and management systems.

The HSE has also advised that it does not provide guidelines on hospital parking and each hospital/hospital group implements its own guidelines. Some hospitals provide reduced parking rates for long-term patients and visitors for whom the payment of the full rate would cause hardship. Of the 1,000 spaces at the new children's hospital, 675 will be for families. Up to 100 of these spaces will be reserved for concessionary use, such as in the case of long stay patients or those under financial pressure.