Transport officials are being urged to allow healthcare professionals working with Belfast's homeless community to be exempt from parking fines.
The call comes after it emerged that staff working with the Belfast Inclusion Health Service have paid out hundreds of pounds in parking fines in 2022 alone.
Staff who support the health and social care needs of homeless people claim they paid £700 out of their wages this year for parking fines, which has been branded "a disgrace" by SDLP councillor Paul McCusker
Read more: Hundreds march to call for action after drugs-related deaths in Belfast
The hub, which is run by the Belfast Trust, was permanently set up beside the Welcome Organisation's drop in centre in the city three years ago, following the success of its pilot in 2018.
Cllr McCusker, a long time advocate for the city's homeless community, has written to the Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd urging him to review the issue urgently.
In his letter to Mr O’Dowd, seen by Belfast Live, he said: "I am writing to you to raise issues with nurses that work for the Belfast Trust Inclusion Health Hub and who are out supporting the most vulnerable, the homeless community.
"They are out providing an essential service and are being penalized, with one staff member telling me that they were responding to an overdose in a hostel and when they came back out they had a parking ticket.
"The location is Townsend Street in Belfast and they provide support throughout Belfast. The team reports that they have paid £700 this year out of their wages for parking fines, which I think is a disgrace.
"I have written to DfI about this issue before on several occasions and this team in Belfast work day and daily to keep the most vulnerable alive.
"I would like your team to look at this urgently with a view of providing an exemption or badge to allow them to continue to provide an essential service in Belfast, given we are in crisis at the minute with the issue of homelessness and addiction."
A DfI spokesperson said: “The Department can confirm that correspondence has been received from Cllr Paul McCusker. The matter is under consideration.”
Last weekend, several hundred people took part in a march to Belfast City Hall under a banner proclaiming “enough is enough”. It was organised by The People’s Kitchen and homeless charities, and backed by the trade union Unite.
Some 15 people have died in what have been termed as drugs-related deaths in Belfast since the start of June.
It is understood there have been 34 such deaths in the greater Belfast area since January, with some warning the capital is in crisis.
The procession, which included representatives from homeless charities, trade unions, Sinn Fein, the SDLP and People Before Profit culminated in a demonstration at City Hall.
There were calls for accessible services to support the vulnerable as well as safe consumption rooms for drugs.
There was also a challenge to Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson by a homeless man to experience life on the streets themselves.
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