Pressure on to increase number of public toilets at Cork's beaches

A sign for public toilets off the boardwalk at Claycastle beach near Youghal, Co Cork. Green councillor Liam Quaide said public toilets are essential for basic public health and "are a requirement for retaining Blue Flag Status on our beaches". Picture: Denis Minihane.

Cork county councillors are to write to a Wicklow firm in the hope it will supply them with portable toilets which could be used at beauty spots in the coming weeks.

A number of councillors have expressed concern over the lack of much-needed local authority-operated toilets in the county, especially as hospitality toilets are closed.

It was raised by Green councillor Liam Quaide during a debate at an East Cork Municipal District Council meeting on what the council could do about issues arising post-lockdown, including a proliferation of littering at beauty spots.

“Public toilets are an essential public amenity, particularly now that hospitality is restricted to takeaway food,” Mr Quaide said.

"Public toilets are essential for basic public health and are a requirement for retaining Blue Flag Status on our beaches. 

A lack of public toilets or inadequate staffing to maintain them will impinge most on people with particular health conditions and disabilities.

"I believe the council needs to prioritise this issue,” Mr Quaide said.

Fine Gael councillor Michael Hegarty said he'd read about a company in Wicklow which is supplying 30 toilets free of charge in Dublin.

“We should contact that company to see if they're interested in doing the same in Cork,” Mr Hegarty said.

Municipal district officer Helen Mulcahy said existing public toilets are cleaned once every day, the best they can do with resources available.

Sean O'Callaghan, senior council officer for the region, said council chief executive Tim Lucey was currently conducting a review of toilets.

“We have them open at our Blue Flag beaches. People are abusing toilets (leaving them in a filthy state), but we can't have somebody there all day watching them,” Mr O'Callaghan said.

Independent councillor, Mary Linehan-Foley said the request to the Wicklow company shouldn't only be sent by her municipal district council.

“It should go to the chief executive (Tim Lucey) as well because other municipals would need them,” she said.