Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a chill in the air as we approach winter. We all feel it a little bit but the colder weather has not stopped the good people of Dún Laoghaire and south-east Dublin from swimming in the sea, despite the temperature having fallen so much. We know the benefits of sea swimming and how good it is for the cardiovascular system and for building up the immune system. There is no doubt about that. The people who go swimming at Seapoint, the Forty Foot, Hawk Cliff and Sandycove are entitled to a minimum standard of water quality. At the moment, they are not guaranteed it. I go swimming less often than I would like. The quality of the water varies greatly from one day to the next. It is reasonable for people who swim in the sea to expect the water to be clean and hygienic and for it to be unlikely that they will pick up an infection, possibly bacterial, because the water being discharged from sewage plants is not properly filtered and cleaned. UV treatment and ongoing monitoring of the water throughout the year, and not just in the summer, is needed. People swim all year round and should be entitled to expect high-quality water all year round. They should be given assurance by Irish Water, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and local authorities that the water is clean and free of bacteria that might make them sick.