Parking fees should be abolished for cancer patients, says O’Gorman

Green TD Roderic O’Gorman has called on Blanchardstown Hospital to abolish parking fees for cancer patients and their families.

Figures released to the Green Party leader revealed that Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown took in over €568,000 in parking fees over the last year.

O’Gorman said that he was working with the Irish Cancer Society to ease the financial burden on cancer patients and their families and was looking to achieve this in his role as chair of a cross-party group on cancer in the Oireachtas.

“Cancer patients are disproportionately affected by car parking fees, with 8 in 10 reporting it as an unavoidable cost of their treatment. Lowering or removing these parking charges entirely for cancer patients and their families would be a small but important step towards lifting a burden off those dealing with debilitating long term conditions,” he explained.

Statistics revealed to O’Gorman showed a 13% increase in Connolly Hospital’s car park profits in 2025 compared to 2024 when over €500,000 in parking charges were collected.

He said, “these charges are an extra burden on patients who are sick, who are vulnerable and who have no other choice but to park on the hospital campus.”

The Irish Cancer Society has campaigned to abolish parking charges for cancer patients for over a decade, and O’Gorman said it was high time for the change to take place.”

“I don’t think anyone is against this idea – to help vulnerable patients in a time of need – but the Irish Cancer Society has had to campaign on this issue for over a decade.”

He said, “I believe a more compassionate approach, working with patients, staff and hospital leadership, can lead to a positive outcome here. In partnership with the Oireachtas group, I will continue to lobby the government to take steps to reduce or eliminate these charges.”