DUBLIN CITY Council is considering plans to establish public toilet and shower facilities on State-owned land across the city centre.
The plans were originally drawn up by Trust, the charity for homeless people, but the aim of the scheme is to provide facilities that all members of the public could avail of.
Trust says shower facilities could be used by a range of people, including those living in sub-standard accommodation, residents of hostels and B&Bs, backpackers, long-distance commuters and others.
The group says the facilities could be maintained and monitored by a small number of staff and be self-financing through advertising and sponsorship.
Senior officials in Dublin City Council have expressed support for the programme, according to Trust, while a number of councillors and previous lord mayors also favour the plans.
Alice Leahy, director and co-founder of Trust, said there was an urgent need for public shower facilities, which could help prevent people becoming homeless by making it easier to overcome temporary difficulties.
"Our motivation in making this proposal is to help in not only meeting the needs for very basic services for society's most marginalised, but also to help prevent those who find themselves in temporary difficulties, such as newly arrived immigrants," she said.
The charity has proposed making showers available for 15 or 20 minutes at a fixed fee. Those who cannot afford the service could be provided with vouchers from community welfare officers, it has suggested.
"We are acutely aware of the problems related to drug-taking in public toilets, but a well-managed facility for which people pay, with some arrangement for those with limited resources, would make a huge contribution to the health and morale of many," Ms Leahy said.
Among the proposed locations for the facilities are on land adjoining Luas and bus stops, Parnell Square, St Patrick's Cathedral, the Customs House and other areas.
It also suggests that facilities previously used as public toilets, in areas such as St Stephen's Green, could be adapted to provide shower and toilet facilities. Designs have been commissioned from Dublin-based Open Office Architects, which has produced a series of different visions of what the new facilities could look like.
Niall Ó hÉalaithe of Open Office Architects said the idea behind the design was that they should be bright, eye-catching and contemporary.
"We wanted them to look clean, modern and crisp, while availing of the latest technology available, such as using LED (light-emitting diodes) lights which can glow in different colours at night-time," Mr Ó hÉalaithe said.
"They should be easy to build, easy to maintain and accessible to anyone who wants to use them." He said prominent public spaces were among the best places for the facilities and would discourage anti-social behaviour.
"They could also incorporate bright advertising displays that will pay for the provision or running of these civic facilities," Mr Ó hÉalaithe added.
