Hospitals in the South-East have collected over €4.5 million euros in parking charges in the past three years.
That's according to figures obtained by Beat News, which shows that University Hospital Waterford took in over 2.1 million in charges in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
In total in 2019, €2,562,595 was spent on parking at UHW, Tipperary University, Wexford General and St Luke's Hospitals.
That has declined during 2020 and 2021 pandemic. €991,490 was spent in total last year, with patient and visitor restrictions in place at the facilities during the pandemic.
The Ireland East Hospital group, which run Wexford General and St Luke's say barriers were left up at times of Covid surges within the hospitals.
"Income from car parking charges is factored into the overall hospital budget and would include maintenance and service contract costs for the barriers and car park machines" said a spokesperson for the group.
"Also, non-hospital visitors use the hospital car park in Kilkenny in order to access the bus routes into town."
But speaking to Beat News, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Irish Cancer Society, Paul Gordon, says the charges affect the most vulnerable:
"It takes a significant toll on cancer patients in particular, and many report that car parking is one of the most stressful costs they have to deal with. For some it can be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
"Most people would certainly accept a system where once-off users or visitors pay a reasonable rate, but to levy a high burden on those who use the hospital most and who need it most we think is an unfair practice.
"We see good practice right across the country and indeed in the South-East. Wexford (General) Hospital has offered free parking to cancer patients in the past, and put in place flexible passes for visitors. So those are certainly things we would like to see replicated in other areas of the country.
"There is a lot of funding, we can see in these figures, taken in by hospitals through car parking fees, and we don't think that people with cancer - or other chronic illnesses - should suffer the highest burden."
