Promised city centre public toilets still in ‘concept stage’ nine months later
Public toilets promised for Dublin city centre are still in their ‘concept stage’ nine months since their announcement.
With the clocks springing forward and the sun finally making an appearance, Dubliners will be out and about a lot more these next few months. But after a few hours of exploring, most will face the same old problem: a desperate need for a toilet and nowhere to go.
This is exactly why the council’s pledge to invest nearly €6 million into four new facilities for 2026 was met with such a warm reception, but there’s not been much news of their development since. That announcement came last June as a response to their plan to close the temporary toilets at the top of Grafton Street due to decreased demand.
However, this plan was abandoned following opposition from both councillors and the public. Instead it was proposed that two new public toilets would be situated on the southside of the city at South King Street and at Barnardo Square on Dame Street. The other pair are planned for north of the River Liffey on Prince's Street, just off O'Connell Street, and at Smithfield Square. The final cost is projected to be €5.7 million.
The Chief Executive's response earlier this month to a question posed about the provision of these toilets stated: “Waste Management Services have engaged a planning consultant to progress the delivery of the new permanent public toilet units. The project is currently at concept stage. The toilets will be supervised during their hours of operation.”
Since before the dawn of the millennium, public toilets have been in short supply around the city and Dubliners have been forced to rely on the goodwill of publicans, café owners, or seek out museums and shopping centres to relieve themselves. This situation is in sharp contrast to the 1970s, when there were over 60 toilets operating across the city.
Green Party Councillor Donna Cooney expressed frustration that provision of public toilets has been such a complex and contentious issue and said that other counties have found ways to provide for “this most basic need”. “People don’t want to go into a pub or café and ask can I use your toilet,” she said.
Referencing the recent provision of toilets in around her own constituency in Clontarf, such as the eco-toilets in St Anne’s Park which were set on fire by vandals just days after opening last October, Cllr Cooney said they had to campaign for a long-time to get them provided and that she struggles to understand why it takes so long when other Local Authorities appear to have figured it out.
“We’re making progress but it’s been incredibly slow. I don’t understand why, it’s like Dublin City Council are being forced to do it when it’s something we, as a Local Authority, should be doing. It’s like somebody made up their mind long ago that it’s not something we need to do.” she said.
She said that when there’s not enough toilets around “you get wild toileting” or people simply don't want to go out because they know there won't be any toilets available nearby. With estimated costs for the provision and maintenance of four public toilets in the millions, she said “the mechanism of procurement is very complicated” and that other counties have found simpler ways at a much reduced cost.
A Dublin City Council report on public toilets from 2025 explained the reason that public toilets disappeared from Dublin city streets, with none remaining by the end of the 1990s. "The decline and closure were influenced by various factors, such as vandalism, drug abuse, and criminal activity within these units, alongside the upgrading of streetscapes,” it said.
"Many city centre toilet units were located just below street level, for example, at College Green, O'Connell Street, and Burgh Quay, where the risk of anti-social and criminal behaviour was higher.
"The Council's decision to close these units was based not only on costs but also on the challenges of maintaining safe and hygienic infrastructure, which posed significant liability concerns in case of public injury."
This meant that until the pandemic there were no on-street public toilets in Dublin city until two temporary toilet units were installed in Wolfe Tone Terrace (later relocated to Ryder's Row) and Grafton Street/St. Stephen's Green area as an emergency measure. The unit in Ryder's Row was subsequently removed in 2022 due to low usage, high costs, and anti-social behaviour complaints.
The Grafton Street/St. Stephen's Green unit saw approximately 17,250 visits per week during the pandemic. However, there was a dramatic 90% drop in usage once retail reopened as it went down to fewer than 1,800 visits per week, leading the Council to consider removing it entirely.
The Council’s report said this decline suggests people are "reluctant to use public toilets when presented with other options.” As an alternative to on-street toilets, which often have a reputation for hygiene problems and anti-social behaviour, the Council said they are considering the use of vacant retail units to be utilised as manned public toilets as is common in other countries around Europe.
They also state “there does not appear to be any interest from the retail or commercial sector for incorporating public toilet facilities within their establishments.”
The provision of public toilets is a contentious issue as there’s usually a disconnect between the public’s desire for what seems like a basic amenity and the reality of the costs associated with maintaining them. The Council’s report estimates that the total cost of one unit is “approximately €200,000 per year.”
“Thus, the total servicing costs for four units amounts to €800,000 per year. For a five-year service contract, assuming an inflation rate of 5% per annum, the total service cost will be approximately €4.4 million,” the public toilet report stated.
While the Grafton Street/St. Stephen's Green unit stands as the only on-street public toilet operating in Dublin city today, within public buildings as well as retail, commercial, educational, and transport facilities throughout the city; there are 92 available toilets as of May 2025. Of these, 26 public toilets are situated within the central commercial district.
When contacted requesting an update on the status of the four planned public toilets, a spokesperson from Dublin City Council said: "We are currently working with our consultants and the Property Section to secure permanent locations for the public toilet facilities. Once these locations have been confirmed, we will move forward with the next stages of the project to progress delivery."
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