Parking charge hike at Navan hospital slammed by cllr

The increase in parking charges at Our Lady"s Hospital, Navan, to €3 is 'playing on people"s vulnerabilities', according to Trim councillor Ray Butler. Cllr Butler said the €3 charge is 'extortionate' especially for people who might be going in and out of the hospital three or four times a day to see a sick relative and he asked where does this money go to. He added that he wouldn"t mind if there was even CCTV, but it is only an ordinary car park, and that he did not know 'how many people had complained about the charge'. Cllr Butler said he has a family member in hospital and has been over and back to the hospital a number of times and feels the increase to €3 is too much. He also commented on the number of cars parked outside on the road. 'There are more people parked outside the hospital than in the car park. It is an absolute disgrace. 'There were only about 10 cars in the car park and way more outside clogging up the road. €2 was plenty to charge. Some people go there for a service such as a the dentist and they would only be a few minutes and they have to pay the €3. 'Or some people might be picking someone up and going into the car park for just a few minutes,' he said. He also pointed out that for people visiting the doctor on call have to pay €55 and then pay another €3 for parking on top of that. Cllr Butler said because people are parking cars out on the footpath and street it leaves visibility very bad for people coming in and out and especially for the ambulances. He said he is in the process of writing a letter to the hospital"s board of management to request that something be done.