John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I refer also to the wonderful funding for swimming which was announced this morning. I have been an avid sea swimmer for the past four or five years and I do it all year round. I absolutely love it and the benefits, for mental health and everything else, are fantastic. I cannot stress enough how brilliant a hobby it is. We saw an explosion in the popularity of sea swimming this year. The problem, however, is that a certain number of people who have taken up the hobby are not as proficient at swimming as they think they are. Those people can get into some seriously dangerous situations and they may not respect the sea as much as they should.

The popularity of sea swimming will only increase in 2021, it will not ebb or flow or go away. I would love, therefore, for the Government to launch a strong campaign to encourage people to go back and get swimming lessons, even if it is only a refresher course, and to learn about things such as rip tide currents, and how to get out of them, for example. Many people think they are experienced swimmers; then they go into the sea, suddenly get themselves into serious trouble and will struggle to get out of it. I would love to see a debate, therefore, on the benefits of sea swimming, including the health benefits, but also what the Government is going to do to promote safety regarding swimming in 2021.