The Equal Status (Access to Toilet Facilities) Bill 2026 was introduced yesterday by Labour TD Mark Wall.

Mr Wall told TDs: “Some people simply cannot wait until they get home to use toilet facilities. This is particularly true for those who live with chronic and invisible health conditions such as Crohn’s disease or bladder conditions.

“Organisations like Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland and Spinal Injuries Ireland offer ‘no wait’ cards. These aim to empower individuals to request access to toilet facilities when they are in urgent need.

“However, these cards have no legal standing in Ireland. This is in contrast to places like California and Texas, where there are laws providing people with certain medical conditions access to a staff toilet when they need it most.”

The bill proposes to put “no wait” cards on a statutory footing, while addressing concerns from businesses by exempting them from any liability under section 3 of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995.

Mr Wall said he was drawing on his own experience as someone with Crohn’s disease as well as the demands of a grassroots campaign.

Speaking ahead of the bill’s introduction, he said: “I want to thank Maria Crowe from County Kildare who initially contacted me on the problems and experiences she was having and on her campaign to establish a No Wait Card Ireland.

“I hope government will work with us to bring about this change and improve the life choices of many thousands of Irish people.”