In 2006 and again in 2014, the Alice Leahy Trust submitted a proposal, complete with architect’s drawings, to the Dublin City Council advocating for public showers. It is their intention to submit another proposal in 2024, which marks 18 years since their first submission.
The current situation underscores the pressing requirement for public lavatories and showers more clearly than ever. It’s an issue that should not be left solely in the hands of climate-aware nuns prepared to protest against data storage centres.
The late Edna O’Brien’s haunting memories of her mother, as shared with the deceased Eileen Battersby; the moving account from a judicial retiree about a case pertaining to a pregnant, brain-dead woman that had him shedding tears on his journey home; and a local’s insights into the eateries and drinking spots to visit during the 2024 Galway races are all bits of our daily lives.
Our cosmopolitan city is brimming with tourists and thriving on construction, but there’s an escalating concern about the extremely poor living conditions many individuals from diverse global locations are subjected to, as well as the multitude of people crammed into overpopulated living spaces.
Properly managed washing facilities and public restrooms would contribute to upholding the dignity of those in need and would assist others who have taken on the task of caring for them. It is evident that hygiene is the elementary measure for preventing or even discovering severe health complications. We operate a tiny health centre not equipped as a public cleansing facility where we provide as many as 60 showers on a weekly basis (five mornings) as part of our comprehensive health strategy.
Years back, despite fewer inhabitants and scarce funds, the city boasted public restrooms and some bathing establishments. It’s quite the irony.
Tourists flock to our thriving city, construction projects are surging, but the comtemplation of hundreds of individuals from all over the globe living in indescribable conditions, plus the overcrowded accommodation many are forced to endure, is seriously alarming.
The necessity for preserving the health and dignity of each person is now quite distinct and immediate. Is it not plausible to engage partner corporations in a public-private endeavour, to come together and adopt a proactive approach for the benefit of all?
ALICE LEAHY,
Head of Services,
Alice Leahy Trust,
Dublin 8.