EACH car parking space on the Letterkenny University Hospital/St Conal’s Campus generated little more than €33 in revenue in one year, latest figures reveal.
There are a total of 1,239 car park spaces between the two sites with 42 disabled spaces, two spaces for the elderly and 83 reserved spaces.
In 2014 the HSE received a net income of €41,478 from the operating company. The total income from car parking was not provided to the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Gerry McMonagle.
The Sinn Féin councillor asked how much revenue has been generated through car parking charges at Letterkenny University Hospital and St Conal’s since 2014 and what was the revenue raised used for.
Letterkenny University Hospital operates a public/private partnership for the delivery of car parking facilities in the Hospital.
According to Ms Anne Cosgrove, Chief Operating Officer, Saolta Health Care Group, the Office of Government Procurement is presently tendering the application from the Saolta Group for the management of car parking services on their sites.
“Due to commercial sensitivity the hospital is not in a position to discuss business sensitive information which could comprise the future tender process,” she said.
“In the past all income received was invested into the development of the car parking facility and upgrade of security systems including CCTV. More recently the funding is used to support clinical services in the hospital,” she added.
Cllr McMonagle added: “It’s about time that they changed the record. I received a full appraisal of how much revenue has been generated through car parking charges at Letterkenny University Hospital and St Conal’s in my first year on the Board but ever since I’m getting the same line – it’s sensitive information and they’re about to go out to tender.
“I don’t want to know the ins and outs of the tendering process but I do want to know how much money was generated last year. It’s not rocket science and I’ll keep asking the question until I get a proper answer.
“The only people who really know how lucrative it is are the operators. They have all the facts and figures so how can anyone even think about submitting a tender when they’re not in possession of the facts?” he asked.
“A colleague at last week’s meeting given the full figures for UCHG – an income of more than €1.1million – while and we’re still working off the 2014 figure in Letterkenny which amounted to a net income of just €41,478 from the operating company
“I also found it interesting that there are 83 reserved spaces – typically for doctors and nurses who are on call – and yet they tend to be free most Saturdays and Sundays and there’s only two elderly spaces,” he added.