Sarah Slater
Dublin City Council as part of a major Capital recovery plan is adding 150 additional public toilets both north and south of the river Liffey.
The Council will be installing 150 portaloo toilets, 54 large eurobins and 80 barrel bins across the city from this weekend with a specific focus on high footfall areas in the centre.
This is in addition to the existing 3,310 bins and our 28 public toilet locations across the city.
In a statement the Council said: “We will also be putting additional direct labour human resources in place to service the additional waste collection and contracted services for toilet management, including cleaning and queue management.”
The additional toilets will be open from 10am to 11pm daily.
Additional public toilets tenders are to be issued by the end of June which will be awarded for five years.
O'Connell Street
On the north side of the city, the toilets will be located on Wolfetone Square, the central median on O’Connell Street, Smithfield (South end), the Royal Canal, Mountjoy Square and Diamond Park.
South of the city they will be on Sycamore Street, Temple Bar Square, Chatham Row, South King Street, Coppinger Row, Dame Court, Dame Lane and Merrion Square.
Current Lord Mayor Hazel Chu and former Lord Mayor Christy Burke both welcomed the latest city upgrades, but both noted that it took “too long” for them to be installed — 15 months after the Covid-19 restrictions began.
Cllr Burke added: “If we want to give businesses and the public the best chance at enjoying life again in a civil manner then upgrades and basis facilities such as toilets have to be provided.”
The Council plans to work alongside representatives from Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the National Transport Authority (NTA), Dublintown, Temple Bar Traders, gardaí, the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) to develop the city even further.
The project has three prospective working tag lines which include, Bringing the City back to life, Dublin City, Alive Alive Oh and Dublin City Awakens. The project breakdown is being overseen by Council director of services Coilín O’Reilly.
Strategy
A Dublin Chamber of Commerce spokesperson said while they knew nothing of the planned Council project, the city needs an “ambitious strategy” that addresses the converging challenges of reopening the city.
According to presentation documentation, a specific marketing plan is being targeted with several Council departments already working on developing ideas alongside Fáilte Ireland. An additional city centre marketing project is also being targeted which will involve restaurants, independent retailers, nightlife operators and attractions.
The taskforce is also examining the need for a co-ordinated communications plan with a “constant drip of positive stories with regard to DCC’s actions,” according to a recent Council presentation.
There are 17 streets and areas of focus which form part of the projects, with issues such as public toilets, street furniture and waiver of fees, grant schemes being addressed.
These areas are; the Grafton Street area, South Anne Street, Dame Street, South William Street, Drury Street, Suffolk Street, Capel Street, Mary Street, Liffey Street and Smithfield. Other streets include, Merrion Row, Foster Place, Baggott St lower, Temple Bar, Newmarket, South Frederick St, Dame Ct and St Stephens St lower.
Events
Events will be managed for these areas involve markets, winter lights, discount Thursdays involving the RAI, art installations, music, culture Sundays involving art galleries and museums. All proposed events will be led by public health guidelines.
With regard to allowing street furniture for business such as restaurants, cafés and pubs all fees are to be waived by the Council. Parking spaces, build-out lanes, lane closures, additional pedestrianisation of targeted areas, park opening hours and dwell zones are all being examined for suitability.
There are currently 186 applications by businesses for street furniture under the Planning Act and 94 under the Roads Act. Failte Ireland is currently operating a €17 million grant scheme with the maximum amount allowed to applicants being €4,000.
Dining Grant Scheme
A Dining Grant Scheme will also be operated in four areas which include Smithfield, Suffolk Street, Newmarket Square and Meeting House Square.
A City Council source said: “A huge amount of work is needed to help businesses of all sorts and to breath life back into the city. It will be a massive task but commercial life is struggling beyond belief. This is an ambitious project and hopefully it will garner the support and backing from all those stakeholder targeted to back it.”
Transport and safety is planned to be co-ordinated by Gardai and the NTA.
Marian O'Donnell, Media and Public Affairs Manager, Dublin Chamber commented: “We welcome the recent appointment of Coilin O'Reilly to oversee the rollout of the City Recovery Taskforce.
“This taskforce will play a vital role in ensuring the successful re-opening and recovery of the city, there is certainly a lot of work to be done and the speed at which it is able to implement its plans is also really important. We look forward to working with him and the taskforce to support businesses and to breathe new life back into the city post-Covid.”
Ms O’Donnell added:“Businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector have been hardest hit by the Covid-19 restrictions and many have invested heavily in their businesses in advance of summer, in outdoor areas, in street furniture and awnings.
“We look forward to working with DCC' and the events that they will be running to support businesses and bring people back into the city centre. We hope to see more ambitious plans like this for the city centre, both north and south side, for the summer and continuing longer term.
“We need people, both commuters and consumers alike, to be ready to come back into the city centre, to feel safe and secure, but also to give the city back its heartbeat and its spirit in being a vibrant, multicultural, thriving European Capital.
“The city, its businesses and its people are resilient, but success will not come without support at both a local and national level."
