Madam, - I took the 11 a.m. train from Heuston to Galway on August 6th. During the journey I read the newspaper, and was interested to see that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland had chosen to close down a record number of six food outlets during July because they presented a grave and immediate danger to public health.
Not long after leaving Heuston, I had to use the toilet, and was not altogether surprised, but as appalled as ever, to find that there was no water available to wash my hands. This is not an uncommon occurrence but it violates a basic health and safety requirement.
Not only does this pose a risk to every passenger travelling and eating on the train, but raises serious questions about the toilet facilities provided for those who serve food from the buffet car. Do they have separate toilets? Does any such toilet have tap water? Do they, God forbid, use the same toilets as the passengers? In the discharge of their responsibilities, I am sure inspectors for the FSAI travel by train. I would be interested to know their opinion on the standard of hygiene deemed acceptable by Iarnród Éireann.
I also travelled back to Dublin from Galway on the 6.20 p.m. train. As usual, I sat in the first-class carriage, but there was no first-class service in place, and no excuse was offered for this. The lack of cleanliness in the toilets in the first-class carriage is simply beyond description. The toilets are an affront to passengers. They are an affront to the tourists who experience them. I would dread having to bring a child into them.
Both of these trains obviously left their station ill-equipped for their respective journey, and regardless of any arguments about government funding for the train service, such a demonstration of lack of concern or respect for passengers by maintenance staff and management is unacceptable and inexcusable. - Yours, etc.,
KEVIN KINSELLA, Hollystown Park, Hollystown, Dublin 15.