Press Release: Environment   09 May 2006

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EPA water quality report highlights greater need for integrated management of Dublin Bay

The Green Party has welcomed the news that 96 per cent of Ireland's beaches have passed the EU's mandatory bathing water quality test.

However, the party has raised concerns at the varying standards of water quality found along Dublin's shoreline, despite an investment of €300 million in the Dublin Bay Project water treatment works as Ringsend.

Ciarán Cuffe TD Green Party spokesperson for the Environment said: "I acknowledge and congratulate Dublin Bay Project on the work that has been done so far to improve the water quality of the Bay, however today's EPA report also highlights the fact that Dublin Bay needs far more integrated management. There still seems to be localised problems with water quality in several places along the Dublin coastline.

"One of the stated aims of the Dublin Bay Project was to bring Sandymount, Dollymount and Merrion up to national and EU water quality required standards. However, three years after the opening of the Ringsend plant, two of these beaches fail to make the grade. There also appears to be continuing difficulties with a number of beaches in North County Dublin.

"For further progress on improving the bathing water quality we need to look at where improvements have been made and to see if these can be replicated in other areas.

"Unfortunately, the lack of coordination in the management of Dublin Bay and Dublin's coastline between various state agencies and local authorities hinders this kind of adaptation. We need an agency that has the sole function of looking at ways of improving Dublin Bay for all those who use it," concluded Deputy Cuffe.