Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I recognise that the Minister of State is here on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and may not be in a position to answer some of the questions I have asked. What the Minister of State has been given by the officials as an answer to this question does not advance the issue one iota. The reality is that there has been a commitment to change the regulations in this State with regard to the definition of the bathing water season.I understand there has been a commitment to change the definition of bathing water season in regulations in this State. When will that happen? It has not happened yet and it is a simple change. I welcome the work the expert group is doing. SOS Dublin Bay has had meetings with officials, the HSE, the EPA, public representatives, Dublin Port and the local authorities in Dublin. I do not understand why nothing is happening because it is a really simple change to make. We do not need to carry out a survey to ask if changes need to be made to the regulations; they need to be made. There is already a commitment that they will be made. They do not need to ask who is bathing. It does not matter who is bathing. We know that people are swimming in water and we know that they are entitled to peace of mind when they are swimming.

I would like answers to these simple questions. Are we in compliance with our obligations under European law? Are we looking down the barrel of a complaint to the European Commission? What will we do about it if that happens?