A Donegal councillor has called for an urgent review of public toilet maintenance across the Letterkenny-Milford district, warning that some facilities were beyond acceptable use at the height of the summer tourism season.
Independent Councillor Declan Meehan told the council that the public toilets in Downings were in such a state recently that “I wouldn’t put my dog into them”.
Cllr Meehan brought complaints about toilets in Downings, Rathmullan and Portsalon before the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District the week.
His motion called for a review of the public toilet maintenance and provision across the area, stating toilets are still in a poor condition at the height of the tourism season.
Missing toilet seats and damaged fittings inside the Downings public toilets.
There are ten public conveniences across the municipal district, with five maintained directly by Donegal County Council and others managed by third-party organisations.
Cllr Meehan said the current resources were clearly insufficient, particularly in Rathmullan.
The facility is managed by Rathmullan The Way Forward through a council-funded arrangement and is scheduled to be cleaned three times a day.
However, the volume of visitors was placing considerable pressure on the toilets and there are reports of some campervan users disposing of waste through the public toilet system.
“A simple solution is a dedicated sluice installed in the toilets where there is a high volume of campervans,” said Cllr Meehan.
Turning to the facilities in Downings, Cllr Meehan said the problems extended well beyond the particularly busy Twelfth weekend.
Cllr Meehan described the issue as a public health concern and an “embarrassment” for the council, citing doors off their hinges, missing toilet seats and a frequent lack of hand-drying facilities.
He questioned whether the prospect of a new toilet facility in Downings meant the existing block would receive less attention in the meantime.
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The poor condition of the Downings toilets has prompted calls for more staff and stronger maintenance arrangements.
“It baffles me that there is a member of staff looking after it (Downings facility),” Cllr Meehan said.
“We are at the height of the summer now with toilets beyond use.”
Aidan Smith, Senior Executive Engineer with Donegal County Council, acknowledged that Downings and Rathmullan presented ongoing challenges, and said maintaining facilities to the required standard during the busiest periods would probably require someone to be present full-time.
“Currently our resources do not stretch to that,” he told members.
Councillors were told that a proposed replacement facility in Downings remains in the planning process.
The application for new toilets and a multi-use water sports facility in Downings has been with An Coimisiún Pleanála Once for the past seven months. Once approved and tendered, officials estimated it could still be between 18 months and two years before it was operational.
In the meantime, Mr Smith said the council would examine what interim improvements could be made. He also agreed to investigate reports of a broken door in Downings.
Cllr Pauric McGarvey said a maintenance worker had been appointed in Rathmullan and suggested that a similar arrangement was needed in Downings.
“The council does need to review this, be it outside companies, because the model does not suffice,” he said.
“I don’t blame any person for not wanting to do the job, it’s a serious challenge.”
Cllr Tómas Seán Devine also raised concerns about toilets at Ballymacool Park, saying he would not allow his children to use them. He suggested that a Community Employment scheme could provide attendants to look after public facilities.
Meanwhile, Donegal County Council has increased the servicing of portable toilets at busy coastal hotspots following a major surge in visitor numbers.
See more: Council steps up toilet servicing after grim scenes at tourist hotspots