Galway City Council is set to achieve a bumber yield on income from parking this year following a series of price hikes introduced at the last council budget.
The local authority collected €1,626,566 in parking income between January and June, signalling a strong recovery following last year’s damaging parking debacle.
The issue however prompted the council to approve increase hourly rates this year to €2.50 per hour, with long term car parks at Dyke Road and the Cathedral charging a daily rate of €10.
The yield so far this year was over €270k higher than the €1,355,738 collected during the same period in 2025, and also exceeded the €1,361,383 generated during the first six months of 2024.
The recovery follows a collapse in parking income during the second half of 2025, when payment problems and widespread confusion dominated the city’s parking system.
Speaking to the Advertiser, Cllr Níall Mc Nelis of the Labour Party said it was unlikely that the council would reduce parking prices despite the increase in revenue.
“Galway City Council is so badly funded by national government, that the only options we have are commercial rates, parking fees and licences,” he said.
“Street cleaning costs €5 million a year, so if we reduce the parking fees we can reduce the cleaning. The yield is up this year because we have an established amount of tourists who are coming who are paying for parking. Good! Because they’re the ones that are creating the dirt in the town as well that we have to clean up.”
In January 2025, all 90 of Galway City Council’s parking machines were shut down amid an ongoing court case involving UTS Technologies.
The Council introduced its ‘Many Ways to Pay’ system, directing motorists towards app, online, telephone and Payzone payment options instead.
However, councillors and residents repeatedly criticised the transition, raising concerns about accessibility, confusion and difficulties experienced by elderly people and tourists.
The controversy prompted a temporary grace period when parking was free for several weeks while the council attempted resolving payment problems.
Meanwhile, a survey commisioned by the National Transport Authority last year reported only 17 per cent of car-users visiting Galway used council-managed on-street parking.
60 per cent instead opted for privately operated multi-storey car parks, highlighting significant competition facing Council-managed parking facilities.
Nevertheless, the latest figures suggest Galway City Council could achieve a bumper parking yield this year if the strong recovery continues.
