FREE hospital car parking could be in place before the next Assembly election, according to a politician who has campaigned on the issue.
In what was his last day as a Sinn Féin MLA in West Belfast after 18 years, Fra McCann brought forward a private members' Bill to scrap charges.
Mr McCann announced he was stepping down from frontline politics earlier this month due to ill health.
He said there was "no real opposition" to the bill and it will now go through a second stage.
"This is an issue I feel passionately about. Many patients travel from rural areas to get hospital treatment and should not have to pay for car parking," Mr McCann said.
"I also don't think its right that nurses and other underpaid healthcare workers have to pay. The bill has got through its first hurdle and I'm hoping it gets a fair wind.
"It will have to go before committee, the Department of Health and then to Westminster. Ideally we would like to see it become law before next May's elections."
Free parking for healthcare workers was introduced during the pandemic but charges resumed last month.
The Department of Health said the measure was "introduced to recognise the contribution of HSC (health and social care) staff during the worst times of the Covid-19 pandemic".
However, it added that it "was not intended to be a permanent change".
