Closure of Grafton Street toilets 'makes no sense' and another sign of 'creeping decline' of Dublin city
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The closure of the public toilets at the top of Grafton Street "makes no sense" and is another sign of the "creeping decline" of Dublin city.
That's according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, who has labelled the decision to close Dublin city centre's only public toilets as a "short-sighted move" that shows "there is zero innovation from a government that's always reactive and never proactive". It emerged on Friday that Dublin City Council is planning to remove the public bathrooms facility located near St Stephen's Green due to a combination of reduced demand and the current operator ceasing trading.
The toilets, which came into operation in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, costs close to €400,000-a-year to run and are used by around 1,500 people a week, according to a DCC report set to be presented to Councillors on Monday. Dublin Central TD Gannon said the decision to close the facility ahead of the busy summer months "makes no sense whatsoever."
"The need for public facilities is about to spike - more people will be out enjoying the city, attending events and making use of our parks," Deputy Gannon said. "We should be adding toilets, not taking them away.
'We've seen this same story play out again and again: an unwillingness to plan ahead; an allergy to practical public investment; and a government that doesn't understand how cities actually work.
'This isn't just about one toilet at the top of Grafton Street — it's about the wider issue of how we design public spaces. People deserve free, clean, accessible toilets in parks, at transport hubs and in city centres. That's not too much to ask.
'What this latest decision tells us is that there's no joined-up thinking and no understanding of how people use public spaces. And once again, there is zero innovation from a government that's always reactive and never proactive.
'We need to halt the creeping decline of our capital and start investing in infrastructure that actually serves the public. Public toilets may not be flashy, but they're essential. Every person in this city deserves to be treated with a bit more dignity.'
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