Codd: Hospital Parking regime shows no empathy to vulnerable

The current car parking situation at Wexford General Hospital shows no empathy for visitors, many of them extremely vulnerable, according to a local election candidate. Jim Codd of Aontu said that he would make this an issue when elected to Wexford County Council.

“The parking situation at Wexford General Hospital is extremely restrictive,” Mr Codd commented. “A visitor must have change to get out of the carpark as debit cards are not accepted and a dedicated member of staff for car parking does not seem to exist.”

“On top of this, parking fees are excessive. A night-time visit to A&E will usually result in an €8 tariff. Daily trips to see a sick loved one can quickly ramp up high bills despite the availability of concession tickets. This can already be a stressful time for someone without having to add financial worries into the mix.”

“In 2017, €729,634 was generated from car parking fees in the hospital, roughly €14,000 per week. Incredibly, €135,552 of that was taken as VAT. While I accept that much of the remainder is earmarked for reinvestment into the hospital, it would still seem that better methods could be employed, such as a daily flat rate and the use of new tech for payment.”