Visitors forced to ‘go in a bush’ amid lack of funding for toilets on Waterford Greenway

Visitors are being forced to “go in a bush” amid a lack of funding for toilets on the Waterford Greenway, a council meeting has heard.

Fine Gael councillor Frank Quinlan spoke on the subject at the March meeting of the Metropolitan District.

Cllr Quinlan said: “Just on the subject of toilets again, Cllr O’Donovan raised it at the plenary meeting about the lack of toilets on the Greenway.

“There’s only one set of toilets in Kilmeaden. There’s no toilets in Bilberry, Carriganore, Killoteran. We need something like port-a-loos at the busy times of the summer.”

“I wouldn’t expect them to be there all year long but if someone has to go to the toilet on the Greenway, they’re just going to go in a bush because they have no choice and that’s what’s happening.”

READ NEXT: ‘Parking overflow’ at University Hospital Waterford ‘seriously’ impacting local businesses

He added that approximately 500,000 people use the Greenway each summer and that they would all be grateful for the addition of toilets.

In response to Cllr Quinlan, Senior Engineer Paul Johnston said that Waterford City and County Council has no budget for such facilities.

“We haven’t the budget for toilet facilities on the Greenway but it’s actually a good suggestion and we definitely will look at providing them,” he stated.

He added that it would be more likely that the toilets would be located in a car park rather than on the Greenway itself.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin councillor Joeanne Bailey called for water refill stations to be installed on the Greenway.

Cllr Baley said: “Could we look to implement a contactless water refill station on the Greenway?

“I was in Carlow recently and they're popping up everywhere and we don’t have them at all. On our Greenway, we don’t have them and they would be a great amenity.”

The response of Senior Executive Officer Dawn Wallace was similar to that of Mr Johnston.

Ms Wallace said that the council has no funding for water stations on the Greenway.

However, she said she was aware of funding being provided for them by Uisce Éireann last year.

Ms Wallace added that she would follow up with her colleague, Environmental Awareness Officer Ella Ryan.