Galway City Council needs to provide the funds to allow people to spend a penny in the city’s public parks, according to Mayor of Galway Mike Cubbard.
The Mayor has this week called on the local authority to take a ‘hands-on’ approach to delivering public toilets in Corrib Park, Laurel Park, McGrath’s Field and O’Sullivan Park.
“As a collective, these four parks were included in the city council’s three-year Capital Programme adopted last Monday,” Mayor Cubbard said. “While that inclusion is welcome, I do not accept that delivery should now be delayed pending a Sports Capital funding application.
“The Sports Capital programme has yet to be announced,” he added. “Once it is, there will be a review and assessment process lasting several months before any successful projects are confirmed. These are delays that I, and the public, do not accept when it comes to providing such basic amenities.”
Mayor Cubbard has suggested that the council use its own funds to build public conveniences while waiting for Sports Capital funding to come through.
“We have our own local budget,” he asserted. “We have capital reserves. We also have an approved €60 million loan facility for capital projects. Galway City Council has the capacity to progress these works directly and should be doing so without any further delays.
“If we are serious about encouraging participation in sport and general recreation, then we must continue to advance facilities that make our public spaces accessible, inclusive and welcoming,” the mayor continued. “Toilet facilities are not a luxury, they are a basic requirement.”
Mayor Cubbard pointed out that Corrib Park, Laurel Park, McGrath’s Field and O’Sullivan Park are heavily used by local communities, families and sporting clubs, heightening the need for toilet facilities.
“The absence of toilets limits how long people can stay in these spaces, who can use them, and ultimately undermines the significant investment already made,” he added.
“I am on the record on several occasions highlighting the need to deliver these very basic amenities to further enhance what we have at these four venues. Including projects in a capital programme is only the first step, delivery must follow.
“Last Monday, I urged Director Patrick Greene and Galway City Council to be more hands-on, to set out a clear delivery timeline, and to commit its own resources to delivering these toilet facilities without further delay, once and for all.”
