Business owners in Cork city say the old phone boxes need to be re-purposed or removed
There are 20 phone kiosks dotted around the city and most have been vandalised and fallen into disrepair in recent years
The City Council is engaging with Eir to draw up a plan to remove and potentially replace certain phone boxes
Cork Chamber CEO Conor Healy said his understanding is that the removal of the phone boxes is due to commence shortly.
“Plans were announced earlier this year to remove many of these old phone boxes, and it is my understanding that progress is due to be made on their removal in the coming weeks, which we very much welcome.”
Eddie Mullins of Fitzgerald Menswear on Patrick Street says they are an eye sore which need to go or a new use found for them
"Some people have used them for defibrillators and maybe help areas or maybe tourist information, little kiosk. Something needs to be done but the condition they're in the moment is not acceptable for a second city in the country like we are"
"There's approximately 20 around the city and most of them I think are in disrepair or not working. Someone needs to take control of the issue and move it on and have them removed"
A spokesperson for Cork City Council said: “City council recognises that publicly accessible phone boxes may support safety and security of residents and visitors to the city"
“However, the council is aware that the majority of public telephone boxes in the city have been detracting from the urban fabric of the city"
“These existing public phone boxes and infrastructure underneath are in the ownership of Eir. Cork City Council has been engaging with Eir to remedy this issue and a proposal is currently being progressed and will include the removal of certain phone kiosks and potential replacement of others.”