Council needs more focus on its public toilets

THE need for public convenience caretakers was highlighted at a meeting of the West Cork Municipal District.

Cllr Karen Coakley (Ind) said visitors to West Cork might admire the scenery, and enjoy the hospitality, but if the public conveniences are not up to scratch, that’s what they will remember.

Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said a number of towns and villages are struggling to keep their loos fragrant after some staff changes were made.

He cited Baltimore as an example of where one person did a first-rate job maintaining the toilets – opening them up at 7.30am and closing them again at 8.30pm. But he is no longer in that role, said Cllr Carroll, who requested that all of the toilet facilities, including those at beaches, like Tragumna, be properly maintained.

‘We depend so much on tourism,’ said Cllr Declan Hurley (Ind). ‘It is often the first or last impression people have, and so often they leave a negative impression.

‘Even in Dunmanway – where the toilets have been upgraded umpteen times – they don’t look good because the amount of vandalism that goes on is scandalous.’

Cllr Hurley appealed to the public to respect the public toilets because ‘they don’t come cheap’.

Senior executive officer, Noreen O’Mahony admitted that vandalism is a big issue.

‘We are having a lot of issues with toilets in a number of places. No matter how vandal-proof you make them there are always issues,’ she said.

Cllr Danny Collins (Ind) suggested that the Council should ‘ask someone to do it on a small wage like we used to do with caretakers for the graveyards.

‘The people we had have all since retired and they are not being replaced. Some retired people might be glad to have a small job that would keep them focused,’ he added.

Cllr Hurley recommended the relocation of some CCTV units to dissuade would-be vandals.

‘If people were aware that the area was being monitored it might help,’ he said.

The senior executive officer informed the councillors that the local authority has taken on a new public convenience caretaker and they plan to give that ‘a fair trial’ in the coming weeks and months.