TWO DUBLIN TDS have added their voices to criticism of Dublin Zoo over the change to the attraction’s exit route which means customers are now advised to leave via the gift shop. 

Parents contacted The Journal earlier this week to express their anger over the rule, arguing that the change has led to unnecessary pressure to purchase items from the shop. 

One parent we spoke to said it was the “last thing” families need after hours of walking around the zoo. The change leaves parents of small kids having to deal with potential demands and tantrums, the zoo customer said – “whereas previously we could have simply left via the main gates and walked back to the car park without passing the shop at all”.

In the wake of the publication of our original article, customer services staff at the zoo confirmed to parents who complained that some changes were being brought in and that from now on any visitor who asked to leave via the old route (through turnstiles at the main gate) would be permitted to do so. 

However, visitors need to ask a staff member to be told that that’s an option. 

Photos taken at the zoo yesterday afternoon showed signage placed around the turnstiles with ‘NO ENTRY’ displayed in large lettering and a direction to ‘please exit Dublin Zoo via our Gift Shop’. 

A spokesperson for the zoo did not respond to a question on whether management would consider bringing in clear signage to make customers aware of the alternative to the gift shop exit.

Dublin South Central TD for the Social Democrats Jen Cummins said going to the zoo is already expensive enough without additional pressure to spend money being placed on parents and guardians. The gate price for entry for two adults and two children is currently €72.50 – with discounts available for advance booking. 

Cummins, who has four children, said: “From a parent’s perspective, trying to corral a child to get out of the zoo is a feat in itself. But now having to go through the gift shop, it’s a real Americanisation – I think we can move away from that here, we don’t need to do that.”

“I thought it was working very well before. I mean, lots of people are going to the shop anyway, it’s not like everyone was avoiding it. Parental choice is really important in these situations, and perhaps people would be thinking about not going to the zoo if there is going to be an added cost on top of the entry fee.”

As for the zoo’s position that parents should request an alternative exit, Cummins said:

“The idea of what they are saying of ‘if you give us a nod, we will let you out the other way’ [...] are you really going to be the one parent who says ‘I’ll go out that way’ while your child is hysterical?”

Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins TD Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie

Fingal East TD for Labour Duncan Smith called on the zoo to go back to the old system, arguing that the new exit route feels like an attempt to “rinse” people before they leave. 

“I am urging Dublin Zoo to revert to the previous system of entrance and exit from the zoo. As a regular visitor to the zoo with my family, I am fully aware of the costs associated with a visit to what is a great Dublin amenity.

“Many families have to make a budgetary decision in order to visit in the first place. There is a safe and senisble exit adjacent to the gift shop and it should be left to visitors’ discretion as to whether they visit the gift shop.

“This feels like an attempt to rinse hard-pressed families before they leave.”

Labour TD Duncan Smith. Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Other parents who contacted The Journal this week said they would not be going to the zoo while the new arrangement remained in place. Some also raised concerns about the burden being placed on parents of children with additional needs in particular. 

The Zoological Society of Ireland, which runs Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park in Cork, had an income of €25.1 million in 2023 and its annual report for that year noted a surplus of €131,000. Figures for 2024 are not yet publicly available. The zoo is a not-for-profit organisation. 

In its initial statement earlier this week the zoo confirmed the change to the exit route had been brought in, adding:

“Dublin Zoo remains committed to providing a positive experience for all guests and we value all feedback as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the visitor experience.”

In response to follow-up queries, including one about how visitors would be told about the alternative exit option (via the turnstiles), a spokesperson said yesterday:

“If a parent or guardian deems the exit unsuitable or inaccessible for themselves, their family, or guests, Dublin Zoo can make arrangements to facilitate departure through an alternative gate.”