€30,000 flushed down the toilet in Kilkee

THE public toilet in Kilkee town square cost Clare County Council €31,647 (excluding VAT) in 2011. The convenience realised just €956.55, with a total of 3,826 using the facility last year. This resulted in a loss of €30,690.45 on the superloo.
At this week’s February meeting of Kilkee Town Council, members expressed shock at how expensive it is to operate the public toilet, which Clare County Council leased for 20 years in 1998.
“This sum covers the lease cost on the facility, as well as a comprehensive operations and maintenance arrangement,” Clare County Council explained in a written reply to Councillor Claire Haugh’s motion of enquiry on Monday.
The agreement in place with JC Deceaux Limited requires that 12 months notice be given of any termination of the agreement.
“If there is more than three years to run on the contract, a payment of 25% of the rent amount, that would be payable from termination date to the end of contract period, applies. If less than three years are left on the contract, the applicable figure is 15% of the rent amount. The cost of removal of the convenience and clearance of the site and connections would also arise in any termination,” the statement added.
“This is very bad housekeeping. I am quite frankly astounded by this,” Councillor Haugh commented on hearing the figures.
Although she was “excited” in 1998 when the superloo replaced the old public toilet, Councillor Haugh said the toilet is now “obsolete” due to its high cost.
“In fairness, the old toilets that were there weren’t that bad,” Councillor Paddy Collins recalled fondly.
Despite the cost of the Kilkee superloo, Clare County Council quoted from a Dublin City Business Association report from 2010, titled Can you judge a nation by its toilets?
“The report points to the importance of public toilet facilities to local businesses that do not benefit from allowing people to use their toilets. Research has shown that tourists and visitors ranked the availability of toilets high on their list of reasons why a location is worth visiting,” Clare County Council revealed in their statement on the matter.
“The council’s previous experience with the provision of public toilet facilities has been that such facilities come at a very high cost but do not meet the hygiene standards required and the level of expectation that exists among the general public and visitors to the county.
“The automated public conveniences (superloos) are a very effective method of reaching the standard required and do offer value for money when compared with the capital costs and operational costs associated with the traditional provision of public toilet facilities,” the statement concluded.