Debate contribution: Hospital Parking Charges Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Miss Órlaithí Flynn on 10 March 2026.

MLA

Miss Órlaithí Flynn

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

10 March 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Hospital Parking Charges Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5436976

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I want to focus on the importance of the hospital car parking charges legislation, as originally passed. As we know, the Assembly debated and agreed the principles of the Hospital Parking Charges Bill. This debate is not about the merits of that Bill. I appreciate that my colleague on the Health Committee, and his SDLP and Opposition colleagues, are doing their job, as they see fit, by trying to focus on Executive divisions, DUP/Sinn Féin hostilities, the issues facing the Executive or whatever. However, that is not what this debate is about or what the legislation is about. We are discussing the work that the Minister is trying to bring forward. It is about focusing on the progress that the Assembly can make to deliver the legislation and how it can be carried through and delivered in practice. It is worth reminding ourselves that, when we originally debated the Bill in the Assembly, almost four years ago, it passed with the support of all the main parties. It is not a fair representation to say that it was something that Sinn Féin landed on the Minister of Health. That is not fair, and it is not reflective of the process. The Minister has supported the intent of the legislation. I do not think that he has said anything different to that, even in his remarks this evening. It is important to note that, since the legislation was passed four years ago, as has been explained, the Department has had the opportunity to consider how it will be implemented and what arrangements will be needed to deliver on it. It is also important to say that the Department has not opposed the Bill; it has recognised the need to implement it. The Minister made his remarks. We need to consider what steps we need to take next to ensure that we can deliver on it. I appreciate where the Minister is with his budget. He talks about trying to create a sustainable and stable health service. Yes, that is where we all want to get to — every one of us, as elected representatives, in the Chamber. Who the hell is going to argue against that? Yes, we support the need and drive to get to that point. Hopefully, as we said, all the work that has been done and the millions of pounds that have been put into getting the car parking infrastructure in place will hold us in good stead when we can fully deliver on the legislation.

I will bring my comments back to the impact on people. There has been some talk about front-line services. Colin was right when he spoke about the £7 million. It was unclear, at times, whether the £7 million that was garnered in charges was going directly to front-line services. We talk about the heart of the issue and the people affected by this, and, while it is affecting people on the front line, it is also affecting people who use the health service every day, including patients who are travelling to hospital for treatment, families who are travelling to hospitals to see their loved ones and workers who are caring for people, saving their lives and treating them in really difficult circumstances. That is at the heart of all of this. That was the intention behind the legislation, and that is the reason why we should all be motivated to make sure that we do all that we can to get it over the line no matter what it takes. We know that, for many patients and families who are attending hospital — some, unfortunately, on regular occasions — it is a very stressful and difficult experience. We know that people are travelling long distances for their appointments, travelling regularly for treatment or going to support loved ones who are seriously ill, and, in those circumstances, the additional cost of hospital parking can quickly add up, particularly for those who need to attend the hospital frequently. I know that all those points were made previously when the legislation was first debated, but it is really important to repeat them. Gerry touched earlier on the fact that many households are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and the whole financial situation, not just the health service. Everyone is feeling it. Additional costs, through any avenue, are putting an additional burden on people, and that includes the additional cost of paying for car parking. Health professionals have raised concerns that parking costs can become a barrier for vulnerable patients. Diane touched on how people with addictions and mental health issues already face barriers when attending hospital appointments. Removing parking charges will mean that those patients can focus on their treatment and recovery without additional financial worry. While some arrangements have been put in place in recent years to support our staff, there is still, as has been pointed out, a kind of postcode lottery, and the situation is the not the same in every trust, because, as a health and social care worker, you cannot necessarily avail yourself of one of those permits or access parking free of charge at your place of work. That is another big inconsistency that the legislation was designed to address, and we still need to work towards that. Trade unions highlighted the fact that abolishing parking charges would recognise the vital work of our health and social care staff and support recruitment and retention, which, again, is something that everybody in the Chamber wants to see. The key question that we must ask ourselves today is a simple one: what would another delay mean in practice? We have heard about the £7 million in lost revenue per year. It would also mean continued uncertainty for many health and social care workers, and it would mean that patients and families who rely on hospitals will continue to face additional costs when attending their appointments. The Assembly has already expressed its view on the matter, and the Department has recognised the need to implement the legislation. The Minister has mentioned taking the necessary steps and, please God, we can do that. The focus now needs to be on ensuring that the work continues so that these arrangements can be delivered. Our health and social care workers deserve fairness and consistency right across the system, and patients and families deserve a health service that removes unnecessary burdens when they need care.

1,070 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:13 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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