Writes Leo McMahon
‘Toilets are a necessity not a luxury’ declared Cllr Audrey Buckley (FF) at the recent meeting of Carrigaline Municipal District (MD) when asking provision for these in the summer season at coastal areas and greenways in their area to come out of the county council budget and not that of the MD.
On the agenda was a motion from her seeking confirmation that the MD would get funding to provide toilets and also litter bins from May.
‘We as a MD shouldn’t have to be asking for nor funding these every year’, argued Cllr Buckley who added that she intended raising the matter at a full council meeting.
In a report, senior executive officer (SEO) Maurice Murphy said seasonal toilets and bins were a Covid measure introduced in 2020. ‘This request is under review with the chief executive of the council to determine if there is a need to continue funding additional toilets and bins.’
At the MD meeting, the SEO said he had since spoken to the head of finance in the council who confirmed that budget provision had not been made for 2025. However, the officer was happy to look at it on a case by case basis. The MD would be reviewing the request for additional seasonal toilets and bins and making a business case where it saw a need. He pointed out that such facilities had all but disappeared in other MDs in the county in the aftermath of Covid restrictions.
Cllr Eoghan Fahy (SF) said it confused him why toilets should be removed just because Covid was almost gone. Beaches in Carrigaline MD were busier than ever in the summer and toilets and bins added to the facilities on offer for public use at resorts.
The SEO stressed that it wasn’t a ‘No’ to the request from Cllr Buckley but there was need for a review and see if there was a business case to be made. This involved looking at numbers and the need to prioritise and ensure value for money when allocating finances.
Acknowledging the request for seasonal toilets, Mr Murphy said the introduction of large bins had led to abuse which the council couldn’t control. He repeated that making a business case on an area by area basis would give the MD solid evidence for need taking into account the cost of maintenance as well.
As a beach cleaner and Tidy Towns members, Cllr Buckley accepted that abuse of bins was a problem but with casual trading by-laws due to be introduced on a county wide basis, with a requirement for vendors to provide bins, that problem might lessen.
An cathaoirleach Cllr Ben Dalton-O’Sullivan (Ind) seconded Cllr Buckley’s motion.
In another motion, Cllr Buckley asked that the MD seek funding for a colourful mural on the recently refurbished Carrigaline Library. The SEO replied that the request had been referred to the council’s Library Services section.
Cllr Buckley welcomed the news that preliminary discussions had taken place between the council and Irish Public Bodies Insurance (IPB) about administering a scheme that would benefit Tidy Towns groups and it was hoped it would be rolled out in the autumn. The SEO stressed the importance of Tidy Towns groups becoming registered members of the Public Participation Network (PPN Group).
Cllr Buckley again called for the county council to have its own road lining machine and for a timeline when the contractor would next be in the MD. The engineer suggested all six councillors to submit their road lining wish list.
In reply to Cllr Buckley, the engineer said repairs were due to be carried out on the slipway at Myrtleville. The councillor asked for Goat’s Cross near Crosshaven to be included in the Roads Restoration Programme and repeated her call for eir to be asked to repair its protruding cover on the footpath at Middle Road, Crosshaven.
Cllr Buckley requested contractor for public lighting Electric Skyline to be asked to replace a broken light in a difficult place to access at the chapel steps, at Templebreedy Road and at Church Bay Road, Crosshaven, adding that the latter was never switched on over year ago.