Cork city car parking fees rise by up to 30% from Wednesday

Cork councillors question whether higher fees will encourage people into the city centre as council cites rising costs

The increases, which come into effect on Wednesday morning, will see one-hour parking rates in the North Main Street car park increase by 30%, from €2.30 to €3. File picture: Denis Scannell

Cork City Council has imposed a price increase of up to 30% across its two city-centre multi-storey car parks, despite national inflation currently standing at 3.4%.

The council had not increased parking fees in either car park for four years.

The increases, which come into effect on Wednesday morning, will see one-hour parking rates in the North Main Street car park increase by 30%, from €2.30 to €3. Paul Street will see an 11% rise, from €2.70 to €3.

Customers who park for up to two hours will pay 20% more in both car parks, with prices in North Main Street rising from €4.60 to €5.50, and Paul Street going from €5.50 to €6.50.

Prices in North Main Street are up an average of 21%, while those in Paul Street are up 19%.

According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the national rate of inflation is currently 3.4%.

North Main Street’s 330 spaces currently have a 55% occupancy rate, while Paul Street’s 750 spaces have an occupancy rate of 59%.

There will be no increase to the on-street parking rate.

Councillors question parking increases

Social Democrats councillor Niamh O’Connor said she would have preferred the council to try to increase revenue by getting more people into the car parks rather than raising prices.

“Our two car parks are the cheapest in town for two-hour parking, which is the most popular period of time that people park, and they will still be the cheapest after the price increase, but we should be advertising that fact," she said.

“We need to be encouraging people to come into town, because it’s way too easy to go to a shopping centre on the outskirts of town where the parking is free.” 

Paul Street will see an 11% rise, from €2.70 to €3. Picture: Denis Scannell

Fianna Fáil councillor Terry Shannon said he would prefer a percentage increase every year rather than “going for one big jump”.

“I do think there is need for more creative thinking around parking, because the flat rate is a great incentive to get people into town in the evening, and we should be looking at innovations like that,” he said. 

A council spokesperson said the increases were intended to keep charges in line with inflation.

“It has been more than four years since charges were increased at either Paul Street or North Main Street car parks,” they said.

“The last price increase came into effect on February 1, 2022.” 

They added that the Central Statistics Office’s inflation calculator showed a percentage change of “just over 19% between February 2022 and April 2026”, when the council reviewed parking charges in its multi-storey car parks.

“Based on current pricing tariffs and having applied the CPI increase between the two periods of time, the revised figures have been rounded to the nearest monetary amount in increments of 50c,” they said.

Cork Business Association was asked for comment.