Call for more public toilets in Limerick

COUNCIL has ruled out the possibility of more public toilets in Limerick until funding is made available.

It costs up to €30,000 to install such an amenity, and Social Democrats councillor Elisa O'Donovan saw a notice of motion passed at this month's metropolitan meeting seeking more loos in the city and its surrounds.

In particular, she wants to see a self-cleaning toilet in all public parks.

Addressing the meeting, Cllr O'Donovan said: "The lack of public toilets in the city is something that is consistently raised to me particularly by people with young families and older women. I think the situation at the moment is that we do have some self cleaning toilets in some areas but these frequently break down or are out of order and are quite old."

She highlighted the toilets in the Mungret Park, saying many of her constituents have complained that there are is not much in the way of instructions on how to use it.

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"People try and use it mid-cycle when its cleaning and this causes it to break down," she reported, "The Mungret park toilet is frequently out of order. Each year we allocate significant funding in the budget for public toilets maintenance by what I believe to be a private company to maintain? I would like to see well maintained public toilets with clear instructions on how to use them in the city centre and in all our public parks in the metropolitan district."

Labour councillor Conor Sheehan seconded the motion.

But planning director Nuala Gallagher said with the installation of public toilets costing between €25,000 to €30,000, any requests for these would be contingent on funding being made available.

In the city centre, she confirmed there are two public toilets - one at Bedford Row, near Dunnes Stores, the other beside the People's Park.