Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is pouring rain outside, which means that the sea quality in Dún Laoghaire and Dublin Bay is unlikely to be good for anyone thinking of taking a dip, which many do since Covid. We never know what the sea quality is from beach to beach or area to area because the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, will not agree to year-round testing of water quality. The reason given in a parliamentary question was that it might result in beach closures, which is literally the point. It is like people not going to the doctor in case they are told that they are sick. People actually want to know if the water is okay or not. I cannot understand this response from the Department. The Ministers of State, Deputy Noonan, and my Dún Laoghaire colleague, Green Party Deputy Ossian Smyth, are at the Department. I know sea swimmers across Dublin are concerned. I know Deputy Bacik has engaged on this. We just want to know if the water is clean or not.

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