Public toilets at two coastal locations will close for winter

People soon won’t be able to ‘spend a penny’ at a popular playground and a beach in south Cork as Cork County Council ‘hasn’t a cent’ to keep temporary toilets open at the two locations during the winter.

There has been a significant increase in people throughout the county walking in amenity areas and beaches since covid, and during the summer months the local authority had ratcheted up the number of toilets it has placed in popular areas.

However, the council has limited money to pay for them and the majority of them are being withdrawn when the evenings get dark.

A meeting of the Carrigaline Municipal District Council was told that the facilities at the children’s playground in Crosshaven and at the Robert’s Cove beach are to be closed.

Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley was none too pleased with the news, which came after she put forward a motion requesting that the toilets at both locations be kept in place all year round.

She also wants them replaced as soon as possible with permanent eco-friendly toilets.

The council’s acting executive engineer for the district Andy O’Brien said it wasn’t possible to keep them open in the winter as the local authority simply doesn’t have the funding to do so.

Ms Buckley said:

 “This is very unfair having to ask for a kid to use a toilet in a pub or restaurant. Surely we’re beyond that. We’re gone beyond going behind a bush or asking local businesses."

Local officials said they would have to do a cost analysis and make a business case to senior officials in County Hall to get money to keep them open, but didn’t sound optimistic about getting a positive response.

However, councillors got a more positive response when it came to renovating the permanent toilets at another popular beach in their area.

Municipal district officer Denise Kidney said that refurbishment at the toilet block at Fountainstown beach is continuing to progress.

Ms Kidney said there had been a delay in the project due to some supply issues with materials which were needed. But she added that this had now been resolved and hopes the works will be completed very shortly.