No money to spend a penny in Laois playground
The popular village playground in Coolrain. File image
NO funding is available to let children spend a penny in a village playground, where the nearest toilet facilities are miles away.
When a local councillor asked that toilets be provided at the popular playground in Coolrain, a senior county council official replied that no grants are available.
However, he said the council would examine the possibility of providing a sewage connection for the Coolrain playground, following an assessment of wastewater network capacity in the area.
Independent councillor James Kelly highlighted the problem at Laois Co Council’s latest monthly meeting, as he said that families visiting the Coolrain playground have to bring their children to Mountrath or Camross if they need to use a toilet.
Cllr Kelly appealed for much-needed toilet facilities to be provided at the Coolrain public playground, which is used by many children from surrounding areas within a 10km radius.
The well-maintained playground has a wide range of modern equipment, from timber slide towers to climbing walls and a cable run, but there are no toilets at the county council-run site.
Cllr Kelly asked whether funding is available to provide toilets at the village amenity, as he commented: “There are playgrounds with no toilets in some areas such as Coolrain, where they have to go to Camross or Mountrath for toilets. It is a special requirement.”
Director of services Simon Walton replied that the council runs 23 or 24 playgrounds around the county but playground toilets “are not covered by any grant funding that we might pursue”.
Mr Walton added that, while wastewater network capacity in the area would have to be assessed first, the council would “have a look at the specifics of providing a connection in Coolrain”, which would be required before toilet facilities could be installed.
