2026-06-25

As we are all in here in our suits, sitting on these leather chairs, the weather outside is gradually getting better, and people in my constituency will be going to the beach. Four young people from my constituency, 17-year-old Aoibheann Conlon, Laura Daly, and brothers Oisín and Gavin Weadick, Clontarf Sea Scouts, saved the life of a swimmer recently who was struggling to swim. I asked the Taoiseach to meet them and I am asking the Tánaiste if he will meet them because these young people represent an issue, the uncomfortable truth that they were better prepared than we were to save someone's life. We know we are going into the best weather. We have the data to show that it is coming. The current swimming period is set monthly by the councils. When we know the weather is going to be good, we need to have lifeguards on the beach. Tragically, last month, there was the loss of the life of a teenager on Burrow Beach in Howth. There was not a lifeguard on duty as they are not funded. We need to have more reactive lifeguards across Ireland and to be better prepared. There were 80 drownings in 2025 and there have already been 33 this year. The UK, a country with 12 times our population, recorded 193. That is not comparable. It is not acceptable but it is fixable. A thousand swimmers and families across my constituency signed a petition last year calling for better services. We have seen a lot of investment but we need more. With water safety comes water quality. Yesterday we had statements on it. The issue is that the EPA's report is showing that urban wastewater incidences are frequent and are causing bathing water closures. We are relying on water testing that is days old. However, real-time monitoring is standard across Europe in countries like Denmark. We need to be proactive rather than reactive. That cannot be a political soundbite. It needs to be put into action. Thousands of people will go to Howth this weekend. The Tánaiste saw the recent videos of people queuing outside the DART station. It was like they were queuing to see Santa. There was a giant line. I went in it myself. It took 40 minutes to get out of Howth. While we are talking about beaches and preventative measures, I raise the issue of litter and dumping in Dublin Bay. An enforcement officer needs to be present on hot days. If someone can bring cans of Coke down to a beach, they need to be punished if they are littering on a UNESCO heritage site. An enforcement officer needs to be on site who can give a fine. It is not acceptable when someone brings down rubbish to a protected area with endangered species and leaves it there without any consequences. I hope that the Tánaiste will meet these heroes from my constituency but I also hope, ahead of the weather across Ireland, he will bring in proactive measures to fund councils and give preparation for these swimmers.

I thank Deputy for the work he is doing and for highlighting this. I welcome the people with us today and their heroic actions. I thank the Deputy for highlighting that too. I take seriously the point the Deputy made about lifeguards. I live on the coast as well, in Wicklow. In all weather, but particularly in this weather, people tend to flock to the beaches and flock to our seas. There is a legitimate issue around lifeguard numbers and the likes. I will certainly talk with Government colleagues in relation to that and I am happy to engage with the Deputy on it. Dublin Bay is a beautiful place. I was at Raheny United last week. I met some young people in a coffee shop who said they were all friends with Deputy Barry Heneghan. I said "I know him." It was good to be out in the constituency with my colleague, Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí. Dublin Bay is one of our greatest natural amenities. I welcome the ongoing work by the Dublin Bay task force, chaired by Dublin City Council, aimed at improving the bathing water quality further. The Department of housing, along with Uisce Éireann and the local authorities, are now funding UCD's Acclimatize 2 project to carry out a study identifying and targeting pollution pressures as well. The Dublin Bay bathing water task force - that is quite a mouthful - will work closely with the research team in UCD as well. I recognise the point the Deputy made that people are swimming outside the summer season. The bathing water quality amendment regulations were published to allow local authorities to define the bathing season in their own area, which was meant to be an important step forward as well. I take the point on the issue of public transport. People will flock to an area like Howth. I know the Minister for Transport is working with the National Transport Authority, with Iarnród Éireann and with the Deputy to increase DART capacity and reliability. We want people to have confidence that they can choose public transport and not have to queue for a significant length of time. I join the Deputy in remembering the young girl who tragically lost her life at Burrow Beach. Any such loss is absolutely heartbreaking. Everybody in this House extends their thoughts to that family and community. There is more we can be doing in terms of amenities and the point the Deputy made around that. We talked about water quality but also the visitor experience and things like public toilets and changing facilities, so that people have a more enjoyable, healthier day but also that the local community, when so many visitors come in, feel the area can cope in terms of the right amenities being in place. A lot of the issues here involve different agencies and levels and involve a bit of joined-up thinking. This is the approach we are trying to take. Perhaps what the Deputy might like to do is to outline to us from this conversation the various issues in Dublin Bay. I will undertake to liaise with the relevant Ministers and agencies on the Deputy's behalf to try to co-ordinate some of this response and come back to the Deputy and engage further.

I am delighted to outline my three key asks. I am delighted that the Tánaiste has asked. It is good to see he was in Raheny with Deputy Ó Muirí. Will the Government provide direct funding to DCC and Fingal County Council to extend lifeguarding cover? I was a swimming teacher for five years. I know I do not look like it now. This is something that we need to do. The summer is here and the warm weather is coming. Will he commit to real-time water quality testing? It is done in Denmark. As Deputy Ó Muirí will know, I am very fond of Denmark's energy system, but I am also fond of how they cleaned up the port and made it safe for swimmers. Will the Tánaiste properly fund the Coast Guard and emergency services? These repair crews also worked hard this week when there was an issue on the northern DART line and they worked overnight. That is something that needs to be funded but ahead of this weekend, the Coast Guard team will be responding in Dublin Bay. These people are working with everything they have and they deserve proper resources. A total of 3,000 parts per million of E. coli in water is six times the safe amount. It is not acceptable for my constituents or anyone's constituents to be forced to swim in that water. Níl sé maith go leor. Le linn an ordú dianghlásála, bhí daoine ag athrú na rudaí a bhí á ndéanamh acu, cosúil le snámh agus na rudaí mar sin. Caithfimid an infhestíocht a chur isteach.

I do not want the Deputy getting the wrong idea that I went to Raheny and did not invite him. It was a Fine Gael members' coffee morning. I was not sure whether the Deputy was ready for that invitation.

I was at a business event. I did meet one of the Tánaiste's colleagues though.

To balance my comments - what was the name of the-----

Conor.

I met Conor in a good coffee outfit outside Raheny United.

It is called The Lab.

They were very pleased to see the 9% VAT rate coming in next week. They spoke fondly of the Deputy too. The issues the Deputy raised are serious and I take them seriously. We are seeing bathing water quality continuing to be high overall nationally. Around 98% of our sites are meeting or exceeding the minimum standard. That is good. They are EPA figures. It does not take away from the Deputy's point in relation to Dublin Bay. The work of the Dublin Bay task force matters to all of us. I look forward to the outcome of that UCD research project, which is trying to identify the main causes of pollution here and what we can be doing more proactively regarding that. I have huge respect for the work of the Coast Guard, as well as for the resourcing of it, including its facilities. I will certainly speak to the relevant Ministers on those three issues and ask that they come back to the Deputy.