Spending a penny? Well, you’ll have to splash out €3.50 to use these luxury public toilets in Clifden
VISITORS to Ireland’s first upmarket public toilet wouldn’t want to be caught short of a few quid. Indeed, at a cost of €3.50 just to use the loo, they would have to be pretty flush.
The U-Luu commercial toiletpods has opened in Clifden, Co. Galway, and includes family and individual shower rooms which can be pre-booked. Use of the shower costs €15.
Entrepreneur John Nagle, who is the driving force behind the new loos, told Newstalk Breakfast: ‘The €3.50 is a sort of red herring in that the plan for the business is to roll out across the south-west of Ireland.
‘We want to launch a subscription where for €100 or €120 a year, you can have unlimited access to any of our U-Luu restrooms throughout the country. That’s the long-term plan.
‘The idea really came to us from trips abroad, more particularly south-east Asia where western toilet facilities were not readily available.’
He explained that the price tag is to pay for the comfort and security of the toilets, as unattended bathrooms are ‘not workable’.
‘Despite the best efforts of county councils and town councils to make their toilet facilities very accessible and clean, unattended toilet services are just not workable.
‘The reality is that the only way you can have a proper safe, clean toilet and restroom and shower is to have it fully attended.
‘And we have two to three fulltime staff ten hours a day in our facilities. They have to be paid for. Those that want to pay to use the services, they will get a fabulous service.’