‘Bladder situations’ relief as loos reopened
The closure of public toilets across the district up until this weekend put some people under serious pressure with ‘ bladder situations’ arising, Cllr Anthony Connick announced at the New Ross Municipal District meeting.
Cllr Connick said: ‘ There have been a lot of people walking around with nowhere to go to the toilet. It’s a big problem and we have to deal with it.’
He said St Michael’s Theatre and the Dunbrody Experience visitor centre have been traditional relief points for people, but as they are temporarily closed due to Covid-19 people are getting caught short.
He said both facilities are subvented for providing the facilities, adding that their costs will ‘ go through the roof ’ if more public toilets aren’t made available in New Ross town centre. ‘What are we going to do if we don’t have a public toilet? People are walking around with bladder situations as someone contacted me about during the week. They are not happy.’
District manager Mick McCormack said: ‘It’s a countywide issue.’
District director Eamonn Hore said there are public toilets in the town park that people can use. ‘But they are closed,’ Cllr Connick replied.
‘It’s the only facility and some people can only walk a certain distance. They have gone looking for the loan of a key to them.’
Cllr Pat Barden said a public toilet is needed in the town centre. ‘Otherwise you just have too far to walk and suddenly it’s too late.’
Mr McCormack said there is a huge cost factor in having standalone loos. ‘JC Decaux used to provide toilets for us but it’s very expensive.’
Cathaoirleach Cllr John Fleming agreed that the lack of toilets in the town centre is definitely an issue for people.
Cllr Fleming said: ‘It’s good to know we don’t have these toilet problems in the countryside. We go where we walk.’
On Monday of this week, Mr McCormack confirmed that the toilets have reopened.