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\nThe restrictions are necessary, Uisce \u00c9ireann has said, to ensure there is sufficient water for homes, businesses, farms, hospitals, vulnerable customers<\/p>\n
The group representing Dublin City Centre businesses has said it agrees that the city’s Lord Mayor should ask Uisce \u00c9ireann to ease water restrictions in the capital, as the capital needs clean streets especially while tourists visit at this time of year.<\/p>\n
In response to the nationwide hosepipe ban which will be in place until 26 August, Dublin City Council said it would limit street washing routines to its busiest streets like O’Connell Street, Henry Street and Grafton Street.<\/p>\n
However, Dublin’s new Lord Mayor Daryl Barron has said he is prepared to ask Uisce \u00c9ireann to ease restrictions if it prevents the adequate cleaning of the capital.<\/p>\n
At present, businesses have an exemption from the hosepipe ban.<\/p>\n
Speaking on RT\u00c9\u2019s Drivetime, Chief Executive of DublinTown Richard Guiney said he agreed with the Lord Mayor.<\/p>\n
‘It is grimy and you’ve got people spilling ice-creams’<\/p>\n
“We’ve restricted the amount of street washing we’re doing in Dublin Town, and we understand the need for a reduction in water consumption,” he said.<\/p>\n
“But having said that, we do need the streets to be kept clean and particularly this time of the year when we have tourists in the city, we need to present the city as best we can.<\/p>\n
\nThe restrictions are necessary, Uisce \u00c9ireann has said, to ensure there is sufficient water for homes, businesses, farms, hospitals, vulnerable customers<\/p>\n
“It is grimy and you’ve got people spilling ice-creams … and the streets actually become quite sticky and dirty and the only way of removing that is with power washing,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Guiney said that currently the streets are being cleaned using “low intensity washing”, which he said is not adequate.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes you just need to give it a good blast to get that stickiness off the ground and particularly given the amount of griminess I think we do need that,” he said.<\/p>\n
Rodents attracted<\/p>\n
One city centre restaurant owner agreed, saying that water restrictions have an impact on city centre businesses.<\/p>\n
“We rely on footfall coming into the city and if we don’t keep it clean, it’s going to affect businesses, which in turn will affect jobs, so I’m with the Lord Mayor on this one,” said Gina Murphy, who owns Hugos.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s also not a good thing to have dirt in the city because you attract rodents, so that’s a bottom-line issue for me.<\/p>\n
Ms Murphy said she has found ways to use water indirectly throughout the restrictions.<\/p>\n
“I have flower baskets and hanging baskets outside … What I’m doing now since the hosepipe ban is if there are jugs of water that come back from tables, we use those to water the plants,” she said.<\/p>\n
“So we’re being practical in how we can deal with this, but we really do need to be able to keep our businesses clean because it’s a health issue.”<\/p>\n