The Irish Patients Association (IPA) has called on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to introduce a single charging policy for car parks in hospitals across the State.
According to a survey conducted by the IPA there is a discrepancy between hospitals nationwide, with some charging up to €2.20 an hour for parking while others charged nothing.
The IPA called for a patient-friendly charging regime and even suggested that medical card patients not be charged.
In a statement released today the IPA said: "While there may be genuine concerns about the abuse of parking spaces by commuter spongers in the Dublin region, cost effective innovation can overcome such challenges.
"Further to this the cost of parking in our hospitals should not be driven by local authority parking charges which is a form of taxation and incentive to use public transport.
"Patients should not be penalised through parking charges" the statement continued adding that a visitor shouldn't feel the need to depart from a patient "to race the clock to save the next hourly charge".
