Kildare South TD Mark Wall has initiated a Bill (see here) that appears at first glance to allay concerns of retail business owners.
If the staff toilets are not easily accessible without giving rise to security concerns or if there are fewer than 3 staff members in the shop the request to use to toilet facilities can be refused.
We will reach out to the Deputy and to the Minister for Retail to ascertain the attitude of the Government to the Bill and why it would seem that the retail sector is singled out in this regard.
It is also worthwhile to remind members that the Equal Status Act can already be cited by persons with a disability, a gender-based condition (pregnancy) or an age-related illness to further a complaint of refusal to provide access to a service and signage such as Staff Only outside a toilet has been the subject of complaints to the WRC.
