50c needed in Trim to spend a penny

The public toilets in Trim have re-opened following the installation of a pay mechanism on the doors last week. The outdoor loos were closed last January after the local town council took the decision while preparing its budget for the coming year because of the cost of running them, but also due to persistent vandalism. It was originally thought that members of the public could use the bathroom facilities in the nearby Ramparts Café at Trim Visitor Centre but this proved unsuitable as there is only one toilet there. Councillors felt that public toilets were necessary to cater for tourists and visitors and, after much discussion, it was decided to pursue the option of putting a pay mechanism on the door that would contribute to the running cost of the facility and also help combat vandalism. A special lock was sourced in Sweden and the lock mechanisms were fitted to the doors in the toilets last week. The public toilets finally re-opened to the public last Thursday. Trim Town Council cathaoirleach Cllr Ray Butler said the mechanism means that the user puts 50c into the slot which opens the door and allows access to the toilet facilities. Cllr Butler, who campaigned for the town's public toilets to be re-opened, has welcomed the move and said the system is something that other towns could look at following the cutbacks in county council spending. "I welcome the re-opening of the toilets. The Ramparts Café was not able to cope with the numbers with only one toilet and the staff had a tough time with all the numbers of tourists and buses pulling up at the castle," he said. Cllr Butler added that he is urging people to use the facilities and said that, if there are not enough people using the toilets, they were told they would be closed again. The pay mechanism means that the town council can quantify how many people are using the toilets. Cllr Butler said that the small charge would also contribute towards the running costs of the public toilets.