Concerns have been raised for the welfare of rough sleepers in Dublin over the lack of toilet and shower facilities in the city since the pandemic began.
Members of Merchants Quay Ireland’s (MQI) outreach team say the issue has been constantly raised by rough sleepers.
They explained that the lack of access of these facilities is impacting the mental health of the homeless population during the pandemic.
Many have been relying on the two public toilets located in the city centre, but they are only open from 10am to 7pm.
The facilities are at Stephen’s Green and Wolfe Tone Square and have only been opened since June 2020.
After they close in the evening, some rough sleepers are forced to use the area where they sleep as a toilet.
Measures were put in place to protect homeless people from COVID early in the pandemic. This included providing temporary accommodation, as well as testing vulnerable groups.
However, level five restrictions saw the shutting of necessary facilities including the MQI’s Riverbank centre, which would’ve been used by rough sleepers.
There have been petitions circulating online urging the Council to provide more public toilets ahead of the summer months.
One petition was set up calling for public toilets in Dublin city centre to prevent “unsightly and damaging public urination.”
The petition reads: “As the weather gets warmer, we're all starting to think about how we can safely enjoy ourselves this summer in Dublin.
“The Taoiseach recently said that ‘the theme going forward has to be around the outdoors and that people must avoid congregating indoors.’
“Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronan Glynn has said he hopes we can ‘look forward to a good summer premised on outdoor activities.’
“But to enjoy the outdoors for more than an hour or two, we need public toilets in Dublin's city centre and parks.”
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