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17/04/2024
Health Minister Urged To Commit To Date For Free Hospital Staff Parking
The SDLP have called on the Health Minister to commit to a firm date for the introduction of free hospital parking for staff.
Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath was speaking after second stage of the Hospital Parking Charges Bill in the Assembly on Tuesday.
South Down MLA Mr McGrath said: "There is a sense of real disappointment among health staff who had been assured that they would soon no longer have to pay for parking simply to attend their place of work, only to learn that after two years they face another delay. These are staff who in many cases have been forced to take to picket lines to secure fair pay and have also suffered due to the cost of living crisis and having to pay parking charges at work adds insult to injury.
"In 2022, just weeks away from an election, every party supported this Sinn Féin legislation providing free car parking at our hospitals. Now, many of these same Executive parties seem set to support this delay. While I understand there have been challenges in putting the necessary infrastructure in place to implement the changes for free car parking, I believe the Minister has a duty to make an exemption for staff and find a workaround in the interim. He needs to provide guarantees and a timescale to staff and that's what I asked him for today.
"Health staff have already waited long enough to be provided with free car parking, these are the people we rely on to keep our health service running and they should not be incurring additional charges to go to work. Pushing this delay through via accelerated passage makes it look like the Executive are afraid of scrutiny on this matter. Parties were quick to vote for this legislation and raise the hopes of staff and patients, they should do everything to deliver on their promise as quickly as possible."
Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath was speaking after second stage of the Hospital Parking Charges Bill in the Assembly on Tuesday.
South Down MLA Mr McGrath said: "There is a sense of real disappointment among health staff who had been assured that they would soon no longer have to pay for parking simply to attend their place of work, only to learn that after two years they face another delay. These are staff who in many cases have been forced to take to picket lines to secure fair pay and have also suffered due to the cost of living crisis and having to pay parking charges at work adds insult to injury.
"In 2022, just weeks away from an election, every party supported this Sinn Féin legislation providing free car parking at our hospitals. Now, many of these same Executive parties seem set to support this delay. While I understand there have been challenges in putting the necessary infrastructure in place to implement the changes for free car parking, I believe the Minister has a duty to make an exemption for staff and find a workaround in the interim. He needs to provide guarantees and a timescale to staff and that's what I asked him for today.
"Health staff have already waited long enough to be provided with free car parking, these are the people we rely on to keep our health service running and they should not be incurring additional charges to go to work. Pushing this delay through via accelerated passage makes it look like the Executive are afraid of scrutiny on this matter. Parties were quick to vote for this legislation and raise the hopes of staff and patients, they should do everything to deliver on their promise as quickly as possible."
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Re-Introduction Of Hospital Car Parking Charges Under Consideration
The Department of Health has announced an eight-week public consultation on the option of re-introducing hospital car parking charges. The consultation follows a direction from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, requiring Northern Ireland departments to launch public consultations on revenue raising measures.
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New Legislation Proposed To Abolish Hospital Car Parking Charges
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Sinn Féin have proposed new legislation to abolish hospital car parking charges to ease the burden on staff and visitors. West Belfast MLA Fra McCann is currently taking the bill to abolish charges through the Assembly where he expects to receive cross-party backing. He said: "Hospital car parking charges have always been an unfair tax on workers.
09 October 2007
Tickets Bonanza On Parking
A year after responsibility for parking fines moved from the police to the Department for Regional Development (DRD), more than 140,000 tickets for illegal parking have been issued. New statistics show that since parking enforcement moved from the PSNI last October, 143,564 parking tickets were issued by DRD-contracted National Car Parks wardens.
Tickets Bonanza On Parking
A year after responsibility for parking fines moved from the police to the Department for Regional Development (DRD), more than 140,000 tickets for illegal parking have been issued. New statistics show that since parking enforcement moved from the PSNI last October, 143,564 parking tickets were issued by DRD-contracted National Car Parks wardens.
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