Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Indeed. That is a matter of opinion.

I have appointed a research team from University College Cork, UCC, to consider the findings of a recently conducted public survey to help gather the evidence base needed to identify bathers' behaviour and investigate the feasibility of real-time monitoring. That is what I would really like to get to. People could make up their own minds then. If people have the information, they will know where they may go in the winter or may not go, and obviously there will be certain risks from time to time with regard to public health. The research will inform public future policy on out-of-season open water swimming. UCC researchers are engaged in that right now. It is my intention that this research will provide the basis for guidance that allows people who swim during the winter to make informed decisions. This is what they will do about the quality of water outside of the designated bathing areas.

Resourcing also needs to be looked at. Should we move forward with a proposed authority - and I am not saying "no" to that, but I have outlined to Teachtaí here today where we would need to deal with overlaps and deal with existing responsibilities that are there. We would also need to look at how we would fund an authority like this. We could not have the authority set up like this without a dedicated budget and staffing included. It would require the requisite support, proper administration and governance.

In conclusion, I assure Deputies that I am not opposing the Bill but this does not mean I am supporting it. The thrust of the Bill is something we can work on. I have outlined some of the areas around which the Government and I have some concerns. I have some reservations.

I fully respect the commitment of Deputy Bacik and others, including Deputy Devlin, to whom I have spoken many times about this, and all colleagues who contributed this evening. I think we can work together on seeing how we could move this Bill through together and deal with some of the points I have raised.

The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly already has ample powers to establish a committee. We need to look at that. That may be an avenue we can go down, seeing what the assembly will do. The local authorities are a crucial part of that.

For the information of the House, and judging from my engagement with the chief executives and directors of services and water services of the three Dublin coastal local authorities that have bathing areas within them, they are all very supportive of helping in respect of year-round testing and public information, but I would like to get to the real-time piece for people too.

I very much welcome this debate and the work Deputy Bacik has done as well as her long-standing commitment to this issue, which I acknowledge. I will work with her on this. It might be useful if I were to arrange for my officials to meet directly with the Deputy in January to work through some of the issues I have put on the record of the House this evening. I thank the Deputy again.

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