Ned’s idea holds water

SENATOR Ned O’Sullivan’s address to the Seanad this week on the subject of hotel bathtubs might at first appear a frivolous attempt to gain a few headlines.

In fact, the senator makes a very good point. Hotels mostly have shower hoses over bathtubs, rather than separate cubicles. The baths tend to be narrow with high sides, making it difficult for older people and the infirm to climb in and stay upright on a slippery surface. Senator O’Sullivan himself once suffered a fall, sustaining severe injuries that left him in intensive care for three months.

He is asking for new rules to make tubs wider, and for anti-slip surfaces to be mandatory. At the very least, rubber mats should be compulsory, although a separate shower cubicle is the ideal solution.

Tempting as it might be for some to laugh, this seems like a sensible proposal and it deserves serious consideration.