While University budgets are reported to be under pressure, The Tribune can reveal that on-campus parking is a significant revenue stream for UCD. Data from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Tribune reveal that UCD generates hundreds of thousands of euros in annual revenue. Yet, many drivers compete daily for limited parking spots on campus.
Parking permits cost students and faculty members €100 for the academic year (or €50 per trimester), and the permit system alone generated over €700,000 in revenue for the university.
Further revenue is realised through the Pay and Display (P&D) parking arrangements, with premium parking costing €2.40 per hour and standard parking costing €1 per hour. The University did not release the annual revenue generated from the P&D parking arrangements. However, charges are in effect Monday through Friday (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) during the Spring and Autumn teaching trimesters. The UCD website indicates that there are 159 standard parking spaces available and 65 premium parking spaces available. At full capacity, this could generate over €14,000 per week in additional revenue, potentially exceeding €300,000 for the entire academic year (based on a 24-week academic year).
Against a potential revenue stream of up to €1 million per annum, the University confirmed that the total cost of maintaining the carparks amounts to €80,044 (or less than 10% of the revenue being generated), indicating a sizable profit is being generated from the current parking arrangements.
Yet despite this lucrative income, service users report frustration at the lack of available parking on campus. The biggest issue is too many permit holders chasing too few parking spaces.
UCD confirmed it issued nearly twice as many parking permits as there are spaces available on its campuses. A total of 6,239 parking permits were issued for the 2024–25 academic year, despite the campuses having just 3,301 parking spaces across Belfield and Blackrock. The main Belfield campus has 2,921 spaces, while the Blackrock campus provides 380. Meanwhile, 4,482 students and 1,757 staff members have purchased permits for the current academic year.
According to the UCD Estates website, there are 124 Disabled spaces, 2,503 Permit spaces, 159 standard pay-and-display spaces, 65 premium pay-and-display spaces, and 36 EV Charging Spaces. This totals 2,887, which is 414 spots short of the 3,301 permit spots that were stated in the FOI. It should be noted that the FOI did not specify if this figure includes the roughly 200 spaces removed beside the Village in favour of building more student accommodation. The disparity in the statistics is concerning, considering the ongoing pressure for parking spaces.
Students and staff report that this imbalance causes daily frustration, with many circling the campus for up to 30 minutes at peak times in search of parking.
Some are forced to pay extra to park in premium zones or risk fines if they leave their cars outside designated bays, adding an unnecessary financial burden on their already tight budgets.
While UCD did not disclose the revenue generated from clamping, they revealed that 5,292 cars were clamped over the past 6 years (2019-2025). The current fines amount to a hefty €80 for clamping and an additional €50 if the car is towed.
“If you’re trying to find a parking spot on campus after 9 a.m., forget about it”, said Evan*, a recent UCD graduate. “You’ll likely spend what feels like hours circling the lots, inching past frustrated students and staff, all while silently competing for the few remaining spaces.”
Tensions have been known to flare as drivers jockey for spots, sometimes cutting in front of each other or “stealing” spaces the moment someone vacates. What should be a simple part of your morning routine can become a test of patience (and diplomacy), turning even the calmest commuter into a reluctant participant in a daily game of parking roulette.
The controversy has sparked debate among the university community, with some calling for greater transparency about how parking revenue is spent and whether it aligns with the university’s broader goals of sustainability and accessibility. Others note that while UCD’s parking policy may be financially beneficial to the institution, it creates significant inconvenience and financial strain for those who rely on private vehicles to commute.
Even if future expansions or sustainability measures reduce the availability of parking, on-campus parking arrangements will continue to be a lucrative source of income for the university.
By Hannah Kate Costello, Coeditor