No royal flush: Cashel public toilets deemed ‘not fit for purpose’
Concerns raised over condition of Cashel public toilets and need for funding upgrades
Concerns over the condition of public toilets in Cashel were raised at the recent May meeting of the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District.
During discussion of the District Administrator's Report, Fine Gael Cllr Declan Burgess sought updates on plans for public toilets in the town centre and at the Rock of Cashel. Referring to the facilities just off the Main Street, Cllr Burgess said the toilets were "not fit for purpose" and described them as outdated infrastructure for the town.
Cllr Burgess stated: "An awful lot of locals and older people have come to me and expressed concerns in relation to the toilets there."
Responding, District Director Damien Ginty said the local authority was currently costing potential works to the town centre toilets and examining whether the upgrade could be included in a Rural Regeneration and Development Fund application.
He said that if funding could not be secured through that route, alternative funding options would have to be explored, and added that the public toilets in Cashel town centre remained an issue the council were watching closely.
Cllr Liam Browne also raised concerns about the condition of the public toilets in Cashel town centre, stating that he had been informed they were regularly vandalised and subject to ongoing anti-social behaviour. He said he had also been told of other concerning activity taking place in the facilities, including suspected drug dealing and drug use, which he said needed to be addressed.
Cllr Browne suggested that consideration may need to be given to introducing a pay-to-use system, similar to newly refurbished toilets at the Market Yard in Tipperary Town, arguing that such an approach could help deter anti-social behaviour while also generating revenue towards future upgrades.
Cllr Burgess also requested an update on plans for the public toilets at the Rock of Cashel, noting that issues relating to water supply had arisen at the site.
Mr Ginty responded stating that discussions were ongoing with Fáilte Ireland and the Office of Public Works regarding visitor management at the Rock of Cashel, particularly during peak summer months. He said some small-scale works had already been carried out and that the three bodies intended to work together on a funding process to renovate the toilet facilities at the popular tourist attraction. “I cannot give any further commitments at this stage,” Mr Ginty said.
Speaking to the Tipperary Star, Cllr Browne also raised concerns about the public toilet facilities at the Rock of Cashel, highlighting ongoing issues with water supply and reliability of the the facility.
He said this was particularly concerning given the importance of the Rock of Cashel as a major national tourist attraction, which draws large numbers of visitors each year.
“For a historic monument that gets so many visitors every year to not have the toilets working at the Rock of Cashel is a really bad look on Tipperary County Council and for Irish tourism as a whole,” he said.