This article is from page 20 of the 2013-07-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 20 JPG
ENNIS Town Manager Ger Dollard has said he would be “concerned” if people with disabilities are having trouble accessing public toilets in the town.
It follows comments made by councillor Paul O’Shea (Ind), who called on the council to make access keys for the town’s two superloos available to people with disabilities.
At yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr O’Shea called for a radical overhaul of toilet facilities in Ennis. It costs the council almost € 67,000 per year to operate the automated public conveniences, known as superloos.
Cllr O’Shea described the cost as “extortionate” and called for an independent economic feasibility study on the cost of providing public toilets.
He said the council should provide different facilities that include baby changing facilities and facilities for members of the community with higher specific support needs.
“Public toilets have come on leaps and bounds since 1997,” he added.
Mr Dollard defended the council’s provision of public toilets in Ennis.
He stated, “The executive has previously done an assessment on traditional provision i.e. toilet block with the employment of toilet attendants against the more modern approach of superloos. The executive is in no doubt that when account is taken of the capital cost of provision, costs of operation and maintenance, payroll costs and other overhead and incidental cost that the automated public convenience model offers a cost effective solution and most importantly a standard of toilet facilities that is expected and required in modern cities and towns.”
He added, “The facilities currently in place by Ennis Town Council are modern fully accessible public toilet facilities. The council is not aware of issues regarding accessibility but is happy to examine any such issues in conjunction with the providers and operators of the automated public convenience.”
Mr Dollard said he would be “concerned” if members of the public with disabilities have trouble accessing toilets.
Fine Gael councillors Johnny Flynn and Mary Howard said the council should look at providing a third public toilet at the Parnell Street taxi rank.