The scenes in Dublin city centre last night (Saturday) show that we need to provide amenities to accommodate an outdoor summer, according to David Gardiner, Workers’ Party representative for Palmerstown-Fonthill.

“Nobody wants to see streets covered in rubbish, which is why it’s so important that we’re actually prepared for an outdoor summer in line with COVID-19 guidelines.”

“It’s all well and good to tell people they should only meet up with friends outdoors, but when you’ve very few bins, even fewer public toilets, parks that close at 9pm and practically no seats outside of those parks, this is what’s going to happen.”

“We need the government, both national and local, to be proactive here. The Workers’ Party is calling for more bins, public toilets and seating to be rolled out right across Dublin, not only in the city centre but anywhere they are needed.”