The price patients have to pay for car parking while attending hospital across the Shannonside Northern Sound regions varies disproportionately and should be scrapped altogether, according to the Irish Cancer Society.
The renewed call follows the release of figures by the HSE which shows the agency took in €7.5m in car parking revenue last year, which is up 46% from 2021.
The figures show that, in the Shannonside region, the University Hospital Galway brought in €934,000 from parking while the Midlands Hospitals in Tullamore and Mullingar netted €287,000 and €208,000 respectively.
Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe collected just under €45,000.
Meanwhile, in the Northern Sound region, where one commentator said there is a "more humane approach" to parking fees, Monaghan General Hospital took in €474,000 and Cavan lifted €99,000 for the same period.
Doctor and academic Professor Bill Tormey told this morning's JF Show that the "flat rate" fee of €3 per day charged at Cavan and Monaghan was a "reasonable idea" but said hospitals in the Republic should move towards the system in place in Enniskillen.
Patients and their families attending appointments at Fermanagh's South West Acute Hospital for cancer services, dialysis, coronary care, and even very frequent in-patient appointments, are given concessionary parking rates or have their fees refunded.
