Cork councillors call for toilet priority cards to have legal basis

Cork city Labour Party councillors have submitted a motion for the January meeting of Cork City Council, calling for statutory No Wait Cards for people with chronic and invisible illnesses.

No Wait Cards, issued by organisations such as Crohn’s & Colitis Ireland and Spinal Injuries Ireland, request access to toilets in urgent situations.

The card is a vital tool for people who have conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, which affects 40,000 people in Ireland. However, it has no legal standing.

The Cork councillors’ motion is based on Kildare Labour TD Mark Wall’s work to place No Wait Cards on a statutory footing, through his Equal Status (Access to Toilet Facilities) Bill 2025.

Councillor John Maher said the lack of access to toilet facilities is a serious issue for people with chronic and invisible illnesses, and can impact daily life. He said: “This motion aims to recognise the need to place No Wait Cards on a statutory footing and supports equal access to toilet facilities for cardholders.”

Councillor Ciara O’Connor said businesses can play a role in this.

“Our motion also calls on the council to develop a ‘No Wait’ initiative, inviting local businesses to participate by allowing urgent toilet access to people who have a No Wait Card.”

Councillor Peter Horgan said: “This motion offers a compassionate solution, by recognising the need for statutory No Wait Cards and working with local shops and businesses with a staff toilet to make them available to a person with a medical condition in urgent need. It also seeks to ensure that future developments by the city council include public toilet provisions.”