Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. As he may know, we are in the middle of the Phoenix Park parking strategy, which is out for public consultation. I believe the Phoenix Park can, and should, be accessible and inclusive for all. The current commentary from the OPW is about how the popularity of the park is unsustainable, and the numbers have to be controlled. However, what we have seen over the past couple of years is a single-minded strategy that targets car users. We saw that with the attempted gate closures at strategic traffic points in the park. That did not go ahead, but it was attempted. There were also the introduction of the 30 km/h speed limit, parking restrictions and possible car parking charges. What we see is a focus on curbing use of the park by one cohort of park users, as opposed to introducing better and new ways of bringing people into the park. We have not seen the same energy put into that. The park can be a more welcoming place for people with simple as opposed to severe interventions. For instance, public transport has been talked about since 2019 and nothing has happened. The OPW has said there are 2,000 car parking spaces but they have not told people where they are. To be honest, there is a fine line with some of them between enforcement and a car parking space. There is, thankfully, more of a focus on accessible and disabled parking in the parking strategy. There is then toilet infrastructure, which is a key aspect of accessibility and inclusivity for people. There are toilets at the Phoenix Park visitors centre and the tea rooms in Farmleigh House. However, anyone who is a frequent user of the Phoenix Park goes to ramble and explore and those areas may not be suitable. Farmleigh House is seen as a destination in itself, rather than as part of the park. There has been a step in the right direction, with some portaloos that were introduced on a pilot basis. I ask the Minister of State for an update on that. The reason we have always been given is a lack of suitable water supply and wastewater infrastructure in the park. We do not actually need wastewater infrastructure. Other county councils such as Fingal have introduced eco-toilets. These are designed for areas that do not have a requirement for water supply, wastewater connection or power supply. Solar power is used for lighting. These are said to be designed for remote areas, which people frequent, such as beaches, car parks or places with monuments. Bird watching sites are another of the sites mentioned. Why are we not moving forward with this kind of infrastructure in the Phoenix Park? We also have a requirement for changing places in the park, and there are rapid build options for that. We also need better disabled toilet infrastructure. The Phoenix Park should be welcoming to everybody and this is a key aspect of making that happen.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator Currie for this matter. I am answering on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan. He cannot be here today. The Phoenix Park is an historic landscape of international importance. It is one of the largest designed landscapes in any European city. The park extends to 1,752 acres and represents a unique natural and cultural landscape. It is both an historic and city park, and provides a setting for a range of activities and amenities. The location, size and use of the park can be compared to similar large urban parks in other cities, including Regent's Park in London, Bois du Boulogne in Paris and Central Park in New York. Phoenix Park is an archaeological complex and a national historic park of international significance and, therefore, toilet facilities have been developed to date where there is suitable water and wastewater infrastructure.Furthermore, toilet facilities have been developed where large groups of visitors are attracted to visit. There are public toilets at various locations in the park, including the Phoenix Park visitor centre, the tea kiosk adjacent to Dublin Zoo, Farmleigh House as Senator Currie mentioned, and the Knockmaroon Biodiversity Centre. A number of temporary toilets are then located at the Papal Cross car park, and toilet facilities are located within Dublin Zoo.

To improve the visitor experience, the OPW carried out minor upgrade works to the toilets located at the tea kiosk adjacent to Dublin Zoo in 2020, and upgrades to the toilet facilities at the Phoenix Park visitor centre were completed in February of last year. This includes upgrades to universal access and changing facilities. Knockmaroon Biodiversity Centre opened in May 2022, again with refurbished toilets.

The OPW, together with its strategic partners Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, commissioned an independent strategic review of the visitor experience in Phoenix Park. Following an extensive public consultation in late 2019, a number of key visitor priorities were finalised. These included the conservation of the Magazine Fort and the upgrade of the Phoenix Park visitor centre, along with sustainable transport and mobility recommendations for implementation. The planning application for the restoration and improvement of visitor facilities at the Magazine Fort has been approved, and while this will begin with conservation and stabilisation, it will, in the medium term, include the provision of new toilet facilities at that location. Furthermore, the regional architects are currently assessing the condition of the old toilet block in the People's Flower Gardens. Unfortunately, the toilets were subject to considerable antisocial behaviour and arson, and this led to the decision to close the toilets to the public. However, the premises is currently in disrepair and will now require extensive restoration work. It is hoped that the full refurbishment of these toilets can be undertaken during 2024, subject to the results of the full assessment of the building.

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. It is positive that they are looking at toilet infrastructure where there is a wastewater supply, but like I have said, they do not need to just restrict themselves to that. In fact, using these eco-toilets which are run on a composting basis would fit in with how people use the park, and prevent people going to the same places so they can have the reliability of accessing this essential infrastructure which makes the park a welcoming place.

I hoped the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan would be here, but he is not. However, I will draw it to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, that the survey which is being run at the moment regarding the parking strategy includes a question which has been ruled out by the OPW as something which it is not going to bring forward. That is the option of expanding the Lord's Walk car park beside Dublin Zoo and surrounding parkland from 270 car spaces to 1,350 car spaces, with a new two-storey car park and associated infrastructure. That was ruled out by the OPW, but it is included in their survey. However, car parking charges which are being proposed by the OPW are not included in the survey. If we are talking spending about lots of money on infrastructure that is not going to happen, can we please spend money on infrastructure which should be implemented, like toilets?

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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It is difficult to install toilets in the Phoenix Park, not just because one needs wastewater facilities, but also because one needs freshwater facilities. I take Senator Currie's point on the requirement for composting, or the possibility of using composting toilets, and I will bring that to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. Senator Currie can tell me if she thinks there is a way one can run a toilet without fresh water, through rainwater harvesting or through drilling a well. What would her suggestion be?

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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They are doing it in Fingal County Council. They have two sites where they are using eco-toilets which do not need the water supply.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Okay. I will bring that to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, and also the Senator's question about the draft parking strategy consultation, which includes a question on a proposal which has already been ruled out, which is the large expansion of the Lord's Walk car parking area to over 1,000 spaces. This is an item which has been previously ruled out as a possibility.

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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Ruled out.

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I will bring that to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan and draw it to his attention, and I thank Senator Currie for raising it in the House today.