Workers’ Party representative David Gardiner has welcomed a motion calling for a public toilet pilot scheme in south Dublin, put forward by Cllr. Eoin Ó Broin of the Social Democrats, while also calling for a wider rollout.
Gardiner said “There is a real need for public toilets to be provided. We have a number of public parks, such as Waterstown Park in Palmerstown, that should be equipped in this manner. Even where there are no parks, other places with a high footfall still require such facilities. Citizens should be able make the most of the public realm, and public toilets are needed to ensure that we can.”
“Unfortunately, the motion as passed with an amendment only covers the high street of one village in south Dublin, and only as a pilot project. The council should really be more ambitious in providing what is a fairly basic public service. This is a given in many European cities.”
“This idea that citizens should rely on private businesses for toilets while out and about is nonsense. In many cases, businesses require a purchase before you can use their toilets. We shouldn’t have to rely on pubs, cafés or any other private business for a simple public service.”
“Well-maintained public toilets, as well as other features of the public realm such as benches and bins, should be brought back to our streets to enable people to make the most of their local communities.”
