Irish bathing water quality worst since monitoring began 18 years ago

THE quality of Ireland’s sea bathing water is the worst since monitoring began 18 years ago, and among the poorest in Europe, according to the EU’s annual bathing water report.

The report, which gives an overview of bathing water quality in the EU during 2009, found that eight of the country’s 122 beaches did not reach the minimum standards, with sewage, oil and other pollutants spoiling the cleanliness of the water at popular beach resorts.

Results for the nine freshwater bathing sites tested last summer were better than in 2008 when a third were not up to standard. This year, one failed the test.