The responsibility of providing toilets at a playground falls on the local community – and not on Laois County Council.
That was the response given at a meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory/Municipal District in Laois County Council this week following a motion from Durrow-based councillor Ollie Clooney.
Cllr Clooney, in one of his motions, had asked the council to instal public toilet facilities at the playground in Durrow.
However, a response from the recreation section of Laois County Council stated that “Laois County Council’s lease at the old boy’s school in Durrow is for a playground only”.
“Toilet facilities are generally not provided by Laois County Council at playgrounds. The local community group, who manage the playground in partnership with Laois County Council, often organise local arrangements to use adjacent community facilities for playground users.
“In circumstances where no alternative toilet facilities are available, it is a matter for the local community group to identify the need and fund, secure and maintain toilet facilities – as in the case of Coolrain Playground where the local community group Coolrain Tidy Towns secured Clár funding.”
“That news is not good,” said Cllr Clooney on hearing the response. He explained that the adjacent gym had been taken over on a new lease but that playground users are not insured to use the toilet facilities there.
“There is no funding and we have to accept that but maybe there is a way around it.”
Cllr John King wondered if portaloo facilities could be hired by the council for playgrounds during their busy summer months.
Angela McEvoy, from Laois County Council, however, explained that they don’t have the resources to manage toilets at playgrounds as it requires “on the ground management”.
