Demand for action on parking at hospital

Councillors in the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District have called on the HSE to urgently address chronic parking shortages at the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar, warning that the problem is causing difficulties for patients, visitors and staff.

The issue was raised by Cllr Julie McCourt, who tabled a motion seeking engagement with the HSE to explore the possibility of acquiring adjacent lands near the hospital to accommodate growing demand and alleviate ongoing parking pressures.

In a written response, the district office stated that responsibility for providing additional parking at the regional hospital rests with the HSE and that parking requirements would be examined as part of any future planning application.

Introducing her motion, Cllr McCourt said she had been contacted by numerous people frustrated by the lack of available parking at the hospital. “We’ve all been contacted by staff, patients and people attending the hospital,” she said. “There is no parking. People are parking at the garage across the way or wherever they can find a space and it’s causing congestion around the area.”

While acknowledging that parking provision falls under the HSE’s remit, she questioned whether the council could work in partnership with the health service to identify solutions, including the development of an overflow facility or a park-and-ride system.

“There is a lot of surrounding land there,” she said. “I’m not sure what can be done, but I think there is more we can do and at least have a conversation about it.”

Supporting the motion, Cllr Denis Leonard highlighted the difficulties faced by elderly people and those with mobility issues when trying to access hospital services.

“People who are going to hospital are often under enough stress as it is,” he said. “The trauma of being there and then not being able to find a parking space only adds to it.”

He renewed calls for park-and-ride facilities on the approaches to Mullingar, suggesting they could help relieve pressure at the hospital and across the town. “There should be park-and-ride facilities north, south, east and west of the town,” he said.

“They could also serve as overflow parking for the hospital.” Cllr Aoife Davitt agreed that parking was a problem and suggested the district formally write to the HSE outlining councillors’ concerns.

She also pointed to parking problems at the nearby primary care centre and said the shortage of accessible parking spaces was challenging for people with disabilities.

“A lot of people with disability permits are still forced to park in the main car park,” she said. “The spaces are narrow and there simply isn’t enough capacity. The hospital has expanded its services, which is fantastic, but the supporting infrastructure hasn’t kept pace.”

Former health board member Cllr Mick Dollard said the HSE had a statutory responsibility to ensure adequate parking provision and agreed that a formal approach should be made to health service management.

“There are 1,000 staff in the hospital,” he said. “The HSE need to come back to us and explain how they intend to deal with this issue, particularly for elderly people and those with physical disabilities.”

Cllr Emily Wallace argued that the HSE had a responsibility to address a problem that was clearly affecting patients. She suggested hospital management should examine whether staff could make greater use of public transport, noting that the Mullingar town bus service stops directly outside the hospital gates.

“The HSE has an onus, like any employer, to ensure that parking issues are not impacting on the people using its services,” she said.

Cllr Wallace praised the hospital and its staff for the quality of care they provide but said the growth in the Mullingar population and the hospital’s expanding regional role required long-term planning.

“We are lucky to have the hospital and the staff are phenomenal, but management needs to look at the growing population and how that growth is going to be facilitated into the future,” she said.

Cllr Bill Collentine also urged the HSE to consider future expansion plans, warning that opportunities to acquire land around the hospital may not remain available indefinitely.

“The lands are there now, but they may not be there when the hospital wants to expand,” he said. “Parking is a major issue, but future development of the hospital should also be looked at.”

Cllr Ken Glynn described parking at the hospital as “nigh impossible” at times and noted that the facility serves Westmeath, Longford and parts of Roscommon. “It’s a huge catchment area,” he said. “People are travelling 30 or 40 miles in some cases and then struggling to find a parking space when they arrive.”

He suggested that representations should also be made through councillors serving on HSE regional structures to ensure the concerns are raised at a higher level.

In concluding the discussion, Cllr McCourt pointed to a shuttle bus service operating at a hospital in Sligo as a model worth exploring in Mullingar. She said the service transported people from an off-site parking area directly to the hospital entrance and described it as a practical solution that could ease pressure on existing facilities.

Councillors agreed the matter should be formally raised with the HSE, and Cllr Davitt suggested it also be referred to the Corporate Policy Group so that it could be pursued as an issue affecting the entire county rather than just Mullingar.