Vol. 485 No. 3
222 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will confirm that Environmental Protection Agency monitoring of Blue Flag beaches, with inflowing streams, reveals that a large portion of these beaches are being polluted, mainly through agricultural pollution; and the action, if any, he intends to take in the matter. [23379/97]
The Environmental Protection Agency collates results for bathing areas monitored by or on behalf of local authorities in accordance with Council Directive 76/160/EEC concerning the quality of bathing waters. Since 1996 the agency compiles a national annual report which is sent to the European Commission. The report for last year (report to the European Commission on the Quality of Bathing Waters in Ireland for the 1996 Bathing Season) indicates that the quality of bathing water in Ireland is generally very good, with 96 per cent of the 124 sampling points complying with the mandatory standards of the Directive for the main health-related and aesthetic parameters. In addition, over 88 per cent of the sampling points complied with the more stringent guide values for these parameters contained in the Directive which are used, together with criteria concerning general beach management, availability of environmental information and visitor facilities, for the determination of awards under the Blue Flag for Beaches scheme. A copy of the agency's report on 1996 is available in the Oireachtas Library.
The annual bathing water results furnished to the European Commission are also made available to the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe which is responsible for the Blue Flag scheme and to its affiliated national organisations which administer the scheme in individual countries. A total of 70 Irish beaches secured Blue Flags in 1996, the highest number awarded in any year.
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently finalising its returns to the Commission in respect of the 1997 bathing season. I understand that these will show results broadly comparable with those recorded in 1996 and will again confirm the general good quality of our bathing water. I will arrange to have a copy of the agency's report placed in the Oireachtas Library as soon as it is available in early 1998.
It is a matter in the first instance for local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency in so far as activities licensable by the agency may be concerned to deal with inputs of pollutants that may affect bathing water quality. Extensive statutory powers are available under the Water Pollution Acts, 1977 and 1990 and the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992, to support these bodies in their respective roles.
Relevant advice on preventing pollution from agriculture is available to farmers from Teagasc and in codes of good agricultural practice, such as the code to protect waters from pollution by nitrates, issued jointly by my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food in 1996. In addition, farmers may participate in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme and avail of grants towards a series of measures, including the preparation of a waste storage and fertilisation plan, aimed at preventing water pollution.
