Cllr Anthony Waldron (Independent) has raised the pressing issue of inadequate parking at Roscommon University Hospital (RUH). Cllr Waldron told the Roscommon People that the HSE’s Galway Estates team advised him to raise the matter with the hospital locally, and he says he has since been pursuing the matter on behalf of patients, relatives, and staff.
In an email to Cllr Waldron, RUH confirmed the challenges posed by the hospital’s limited parking infrastructure, which has failed to keep pace with the steady growth of services and activity on-site.
“Our parking is very limited, and I fully acknowledge the difficulties this causes for our patients, relatives, and staff,” RUH stated. “While it is positive that our services have grown, unfortunately, infrastructure, including car parking, has not developed in tandem”.
To mitigate the immediate challenges, the hospital encourages the use of a set-down area outside the Urgent Care Centre for patients being dropped off. For those being collected, drivers are advised to bring their vehicles closer to the hospital to minimise walking distances. RUH added that a small number of Older Persons and Disabled Parking spaces would be reinstated at the hospital entrance in the coming weeks, following the completion of a CT project.
In their correspondence with Cllr Waldron, RUH explained that additional parking is being prioritised as part of a new Spatial Plan, currently under development with HSE Estates. This plan aims to guide future infrastructure and service improvements.
There was a meeting held last year between Roscommon County Council and the hospital, where solutions such as improved transport links between the hospital, town centre, and public transport hubs were discussed.
Cllr Waldron reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the issue, stating that parking is a key concern for the community and must be prioritised in future developments.
