Hospital scraps multi-storey carpark plan

Plans for a multi-storey carpark at University Hospital Galway (UHG) have been scrapped.

Management of the hospital have conceded there is a problem with a lack of parking space at UHG but they are prioritising the development of health-related projects.

Ann Cosgrove, Chief Operating Officer, of Saolta University Health Care Group, said “ideally” a multi-storey carpark should be built at UHG.

Ms Cosgrove explained there was a plan for a multi-carpark development in 2007, and it was going to be built as part of a public private partnership.

Funding dried-up, however. There is now limited capital funds and in terms of development of the site, the clinical priorities are a new Emergency Department and elective surgeries, she explained.

She was responding to queries from Cllr Pádraig Conneely who wondered why the proposal for a multi-storey carpark hasn’t proceeded.

Cllr Conneely described the parking situation at UHG as “chaotic” and said the hospital was like a “cattle mart” it was so overcrowded.

He said the park and ride facility was not working, and was not being used by staff in sufficient numbers to free-up parking for patients and visitors.

Ms Cosgrove rejected this, saying there had been a good uptake on the service between Merlin Park and UHG.

She acknowledged the park and ride from NUI Galway to UHG hasn’t been as busy and needs to be promoted.