The UL Hospitals Group has confirmed signage at UHL indicating disabled parking permit holders would have to pay for parking was “erected in error”.
It’s after a photo emerged on social media of a sign stating “people with disabled parking permits will be required to pay for their parking” from February 19th.
In a statement to Clare FM, the UL Hospitals Group says the signage was “erected in error and has since been removed”.
The group also says it has “no plans at present to introduce or change parking charges for any of our service users at UHL”.
There are 28 designated disabled parking spaces at the Dooradoyle facility while the overall number of spaces for staff and members of the public stands at approximately 1,000.
Full statement from the UL Hospitals Group:
We can confirm that the signage in question was erected in error and has since been removed.
We have no plans at present to introduce or change parking charges for any of our service users at UHL. This is in the context of a new parking management plan to be developed for UHL to factor in ongoing and planned building works as we add much-needed bed capacity.
We are committed to making our services accessible to people with disabilities and we have in recent years increased to 28 the number of disabled parking spaces at UHL. Most of these spaces are now located in our underground car park to afford ease of access to elevators and to minimise any impact of bad weather on service users with mobility issues.
Demand for parking at UHL has increased significantly in recent years. At present, approximately 1,000 car parking spaces are provided for staff and members of the public. This includes two off-site staff parking locations served by a daily park-and-ride bus service. Car pooling for staff and improved infrastructure to facilitate cycling and more sustainable modes of travel have also been developed in recent years in line with our obligations as a public sector organisation under the government’s climate action plan. Parking management and provision at UHL are regularly reviewed in line with demand on our services and our statutory obligations.
