TWENTY Irish beaches, including eight in the Dublin area, have failed to achieve the standards required to qualify for a European Blue Flag. However, the number of flags awarded to the Republic this year is the highest ever.
Ireland won 70 Blue Flags for beaches and three for marinas, out of a total of 90 applications in the beaches category and four in the special category for marinas. "This is primarily due to improved compliance with the strict water quality criteria required" according to An Taisce.
Yesterday's ceremony to award the flags was interrupted by a representative of the Consumers Association of Ireland, Ms Therese Madden, who strongly objected to the inclusion of Salthill Galway, because of the daily discharge of eight million gallons of untreated sewage into Galway Bay.
Before the awards were presented, Ms Madden told the gathering in Dublin that she could not believe Salthill had met the bathing water quality standards as the "pong" in the area was "indescribable". The entire Blue Flag scheme was being "devalued" by its inclusion, she claimed.
Ms Patricia Oliver, of An Taisce, which coordinates the Blue Flag scheme in the Republic said Salthill had been included only after "long and difficult discussion" by the Irish jury because the waterquality data for its bathing area "indicated that we could not withhold the flag".
But she said everyone could understand Ms Madden's concern. The situation in Salthill would be constantly monitored during the summer, and, if there was any departure from the standards, "the flag will be taken down right away and won't go up again until we are satisfied", she added.
Mr Brendan O'Donoghue, Secretary of the Department of the Environment, said the results overall were good and standards were increasing all the time. There would also be continuing improvement in coming years due to investment in sewage treatment facilities for coastal cities and towns.
He said that a total of 154 Irish beaches had been designated under the EU Bathing Water Directive. Of these, 96 per cent already complied with mandatory standards for water quality, while 90 per cent complied with the much more stringent guideline standards laid down by the EU.
Standing in for the Minister, Mr Howlin, who was otherwise engaged yesterday, Mr O'Donoghue said one of the important aspects of the Blue Flag scheme was that it was administered at "arm's length" from the authorities, even though this had initially been greeted with some suspicion.
Referring to the perennial problem of litter, he said the new Litter Pollution Act would come into force on July 1st.
This would give the local authorities substantial additional powers, so everyone concerned about litter could look forward to major improvements "once it begins to bite", he said.
A number of beaches recommended for the award by the Irish jury were rejected by the European jury, because of doubts about water quality or beach management. These included Kilkee and Spanish Point, in Co Clare; Portmarnock, Co Dublin; and three in Donegal: Downings, Lisfannon and Marble Hill.
Only three of the 11 applications from Dublin city and county were approved: Donabate, Seapoint and Killiney. The total for Dublin is down two on last year, mainly because of non compliance with waterquality criteria. But this should be improved by a £200 million upgrading of the Ringsend sewage plant.
Co Waterford won four Blue Flags this year, with Ardmore coming back into compliance after a three year absence. However, the Irish jury declined to recommend the Carousel Slip in Tramore because of the proximity to the beach of the town dump.
An Taisce said it was very pleased that Co Kerry had regained the five flags it lost in 1996, bringing the total for the county to 11. Clare was also "welcomed back", with six flags: four for beaches and two for its marinas at Kilrush Creek and Mountshannon.
However, the European jury declined to award flags to Kilkee and Spanish Point, even though the Irish jury made a special case for them, supported by a Clare County Council action plan to improve the water quality of inflows affecting these two popular beaches.
The resort of Bettystown in Co Meath failed to achieve a flag on water quality grounds despite implementing an extensive beach management scheme.
But all three applicants from Co Sligo - Rosses Point, Mullaghmore and Enniscrone - again received the seal of approval.
Cos Louth, Wicklow and Wexford all held on to their flags. But in the case of Donegal, An Taisce expressed concern about increasing problems associated with the "destructive activities" of jet skis, beach buggies and scrambler bikes, especially in remote coastal areas.
Once again, the highest number of flags went to Mayo, where 13 beaches have met the required standards. Cork retained the nine flags it won last year; eight for beaches and one for the marina at Kinsale. But Galway's Silver Strand lost its flag because of water quality problems.
The newly opened marina at Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, applied for its first flag this year. However, the application was unsuccessful because of a new rule requiring beaches to demonstrate compliance with all the criteria for one year before a flag is awarded.
There were five new applications for beaches this year: Fenit, Co Kerry; Cappa Pier, Co Clare; Dooega, Clare Island; and Elly Bay, Co Mayo; all of which were successful.
Greystones, Co Wicklow, made an initial application and will be monitored this year for compliance.
The monitoring relates not only to water quality. As An Taisce explained, visitors to Blue Flag beaches can also expect to find litter management, toilet facilities, lifesaving and first aid equipment, recreational facilities separated from sensitive natural areas, and environmental education.
Throughout the summer, all Blue Flag beaches will undergo "rigorous tests" for water quality, with fortnightly samples analysed for total coliforms, faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci, as well as physical and chemical parameters.
Under the Europewide scheme, local authorities are obliged to make the results of these tests available to the public, and An Taisce said users of Blue Flag beaches should look out for notices giving up to date information on water quality.
