We visited Cork as a family with small kids, and let me tell you that the toilet issue is what we will associate Cork with for a while. No public toilet in the main city library, really? But not to worry, there is a public toilet on a map in the Fitzgerald Park. What was our surprise that it was coin-operated and we didn't have any coins. Just in a span of a few minutes another woman with a baby wanted to use it as well but I suppose didn't find coins either and proceeded with changing the baby diaper on the grass beside the toilet.
"the condition of a public toilet says a lot about the community it services.". That's the key phrase. But also - in Japan like in some toilets in the Netherlands - public spaces like toilets have safe spaces with needle disposal units, and active Garda presence. In Ireland we have a problem of hiding the issues until we need to act upon it. It's a very reactive approach.
I do believe most of the lack of public toilets can be directed (money aside) to the fear that they'll become a hanging spot for addicts. There are people that are addicted, and of course their presence can be scary. But removing spaces that are of public utility because a part of our society we don't want to look at will use it, it's wrong.
The open discussion around public toilets is, quite literally, an open discussion around how we as a society look at our most intimate and troublesome issues!
You go to parts of the country where there are toilets that are open and are free and then you go to most places in Cork and nothing. For instance Bandon in west cork has no public toilet anymore. It’s like the government are driving us all to doom and it does not bode well for any tourists that may land on either.
We visited Cork as a family with small kids, and let me tell you that the toilet issue is what we will associate Cork with for a while. No public toilet in the main city library, really? But not to worry, there is a public toilet on a map in the Fitzgerald Park. What was our surprise that it was coin-operated and we didn't have any coins. Just in a span of a few minutes another woman with a baby wanted to use it as well but I suppose didn't find coins either and proceeded with changing the baby diaper on the grass beside the toilet.
Yeah, it's a problem. We need free public toilets in big parks at the very least.
"the condition of a public toilet says a lot about the community it services.". That's the key phrase. But also - in Japan like in some toilets in the Netherlands - public spaces like toilets have safe spaces with needle disposal units, and active Garda presence. In Ireland we have a problem of hiding the issues until we need to act upon it. It's a very reactive approach.
I do believe most of the lack of public toilets can be directed (money aside) to the fear that they'll become a hanging spot for addicts. There are people that are addicted, and of course their presence can be scary. But removing spaces that are of public utility because a part of our society we don't want to look at will use it, it's wrong.
The open discussion around public toilets is, quite literally, an open discussion around how we as a society look at our most intimate and troublesome issues!
You go to parts of the country where there are toilets that are open and are free and then you go to most places in Cork and nothing. For instance Bandon in west cork has no public toilet anymore. It’s like the government are driving us all to doom and it does not bode well for any tourists that may land on either.