Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which I will answer on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I was pleased to see continued improvements in the quality of our bathing waters, especially those that meet or exceed the minimum water quality requirements, in the Bathing Water Quality in Ireland 2020 report published by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. The EPA reports that 96% of bathing waters met or exceeded the minimum required standard, up from 95% in 2019. I look forward to seeing further improvement in the EPA's 2021 bathing quality report, which is due to be published in May of this year. These continued improvements in bathing water quality are welcome and necessary.

Extensive work is being carried out by each of our local authorities and other stakeholders on continued improvements in our bathing water quality. To protect bathers' health and ensure the public have access to bathing water amenities, it is important that the network of bathing waters is strengthened and enhanced and we continue to see new beaches identified each year.

The European Commission reviews the implementation of the bathing water directive by member states, with the last review undertaken in 2018. This review found that Ireland is fundamentally in line with the provisions of the directive. The Commission recommended that Ireland improve the provision of information on algae and short-term pollution. This has since been put in place. The report concluded that Ireland offers several good practices to demonstrate how the directive can be effectively implemented in practice.

The bathing season under the bathing water regulations is from 1 June to 15 September each year. Recently, some swimming groups have expressed an interest in having a longer bathing season in some areas. In response, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has met with stakeholders and has asked the national bathing water expert group, chaired by officials in his Department, to consider the matter and make recommendations on how best to protect bathers' health outside of the current bathing water season and what additional measures may be necessary.

The expert group has developed a questionnaire for the public and one for local authorities to determine who is bathing during the winter months, where this bathing is occurring and the expectations of winter bathers. This information, to be gathered within the coming two months, will inform the development of guidance for bathers outside of the current bathing water season and assist in informing the expert group if any additional changes, including regulatory changes, are required.