Image: RollingNews.ie Image: RollingNews.ie MINISTER EOGHAN MURPHY has said he will examine if same-day water sampling of Irish beaches can be carried out after storm water overflows so that the public can be told if the beaches can re-open sooner.
It is a regular occurrence for swimming restrictions to be put in place, and when it happens, water sampling must be carried out by the local authority. “Even if we do not, there is surely a way that when discharges occur, it can be announced immediately. There is a problem if we do not know when there is a discharge and it cannot be announced publicly. At the very least, the public can be made aware of the incident,” he said.
“During especially heavy and sustained rainfall, the storm water tank reached capacity and the overflow from the tank entered the sea,” Junior Minister for Housing Damien English said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said he understands it is possible to have same-day testing services and Dublin City University might have pioneered some of those systems.