Pressure on Cork and Limerick to make more public toilets available

Both Cork City Council and Limerick City and County Council are to review the possibility of opening more public toilets as demand for such facilities continues to grow. File picture: Denis Minihane.

Both Cork City Council and Limerick City and County Council are to review the possibility of opening more public toilets as demand for such facilities continues to grow. With many restaurants and shops closed due to Covid-19, there is an increased need for public toilets to be made available around the country.

On Thursday, Dublin City Council announced that 22 public buildings in the capital, including sports centres and libraries, are to open on a ‘toilet only’ basis. The council said it is important to note that “the primary service provided by these buildings remains closed in accordance with public health guidelines”.

Eight sports facilities, 13 libraries and City Hall are all set to open.

The sports facilities and City Hall will open seven days a week from Monday, April 26 and libraries will open six days a week from Tuesday, May 4.

When asked about the possibility of more public toilets being made available in Cork City, a council spokesperson said the situation is being reviewed.

“Our Operations Directorate are actively undertaking a review of options with regards to the provision of additional public toilet facilities in the city.

“It is clear that there is no one single solution to the provision of public toilet facilities.

“Different models, including the involvement of both public and private organisations, will need to be deployed.” 

The City Council said it “expects to be in a position to outline developments in this area in the coming weeks once the review of options is complete.”

Limerick City and County Council told the Irish Examiner the matter will be brought to the weekly Covid Crisis Management Team next week.

Limerick Councillor Elisa O’Donovan expressed her disappointment after she raised the question, at a Metropolitan District of Limerick meeting, as to whether temporary toilets could be installed over the summer months, to assist people visiting the city.

The council told her there were no plans to install temporary public toilets, as there is no budget for them, and that there would also be possible issues relating to supervision, maintenance and cleaning, “especially having regard to current Covid concerns.”

“This is a really gendered issue in my experience. Women in many cases require more trips to the bathroom than men. When public toilets are not available, women will not go into public spaces,” said Cllr O’Donovan.

“I have received contact from many older women in particular who want to carry out business in town but are so worried that they will be "caught short". We need more public conveniences to ensure that public spaces are accessible to everyone equally. 

"I welcome the initiative by Dublin Council to open public buildings for "toilet-use" only. Hopefully, this will be replicated in our regional cities also,” she added.

Meanwhile, in Cork City the lack of public toilets resulted in a gate being installed at The Lough.

Local resident Damien Wade told The 96FM Opinion Line that the gate was called for when, following crowds gathering due to good weather, people began urinating in doorways down a lane by Lough View Terrace.

He said a gate was installed on Wednesday in the hope of preventing people from going down the lane and using it as a toilet.

Mr Wade said that the hope is that when there is a large gathering at The Lough, the gate will be closed.