Dublin authorities need to be 'a bit more imaginative' about public toilets in the city, the DublinTown CEO has said.

Just 28 toilets around the capital are operating, according to the Dublin City Council website, but almost half of those are currently listed as 'Closed'.

DublinTown chief Richard Guiney told Newstalk Breakfast there has been a long-standing need for more facilities.

"In the '70s we had 40 public toilets within the core city centre," he said.

"They were closed due to anti-social use, but I think we can be a bit more imaginative now.

"I'd like to see an idea expanded where we would use visitors' centres.

"We would take empty buildings within the city, put in toilets, put in a concierge service to assist people in the city."

Mr Guiney said such a service could act as a hub "if people want to make complaints or observations about the city; and also have a bag minding service there, so people can drop-off their shopping bags and then we would organise deliveries home to them".

"We could use that to encourage people to use sustainable transport to access the city, they wouldn't have to worry about their shopping bags, etc."

'Sharing the cost'

Mr Guiney said there would have to be a 'modest' cost for such services.

"I've used facilities like that on the continent, [I was] very happy to pay €1 or thereabouts to have a clean facility," he said.

"I think we can also share the cost between the business community, though ourselves and the Council and perhaps Fáilte Ireland to have that overall facility for people to help them use the city better.

"Just having that space would be a reassurance as well to people using the city."

A public toilet on a market square in Nuremberg, Germany in 2015. Picture by: Daniel Karmann/DPA/PA Images

Green Party Councillor for Clontarf Donna Cooney said some of these closed toilets were only temporary.

"The toilets we had put in place were a callout that we had made in 2020 during COVID, some of those are no longer operational," she said.

"They were only supposed to be in place until a more permanent solution was put in.

"Dublin City Council just need to get their act together and get the toilets out.

"We've been promised we will have more now in St Anne's Park and on Bull Island in time for the bathing phase next year.

"People are using the beaches and parks all year round; there is absolutely no reason that we need to delay with this process," she added.

Listen back here:

Main image: A concierge sign in a hotel reception in 1998. Picture by: Tetra Images / Alamy Stock Photo