Kilrush flushing money down the toilet

Kilrush Town Councillor Paul Moroney has described the town’s only public toilet as “the most expensive piece of retail property in Ireland”.

As of a result of a 20-year contract the town council entered into in 1999, the rental of the toilet in the town square has cost €201,301.51 between 2005 and 2010. During the same period, the toilet has realised just €9,940.49 from people paying to use it. Street Furniture Limited is the company that owns the toilet in question.
“I can’t get my head around it,” Councillor Moroney said of the cost to the town council of paying the rent, adding that the town council should try to renegotiate the rental agreement.
However, Kilrush town clerk John Corry highlighted the cost of breaking the contract at Tuesday’s September meeting of Kilrush Town Council.
“We were advised that Kilrush Town Council would have to pay 25% of the basic rent for each remaining year on the contract together with the costs of removing the universal superloo. As eight years remain in the contract the current cost would be €75,000,” the town clerk explained.
Mayor of Kilrush Ian Lynch suggested the town council should break the contract and see what transpires.
“What can they do if we don’t pay it? They can’t get money off us that we don’t have,” Councillor Lynch said.
Councillor Liam Williams criticised the people who agreed to rent the toilet from Street Furniture Limited in 1999.
“I don’t know who in their wisdom decided to do this deal,” he said.
Councillor Moroney was adamant the cost of renting the loss making toilet is simply too expensive.
“It is my long belief that the cost of the public toilet in Kilrush is too much for any town council. This, for me, is not sustainable. If we had that money, look at what it could have done for Kilrush. We must look at new discussions with Street Furniture Limited,” he suggested.
The meeting heard that the toilet is serviced six days per week by the company. However, Kilrush town manager Nora Kaye told the meeting that there isn’t much room for manoeuvre.
“I think that our options are limited,” she said with reference to the possibility of re-negotiating the contract.