Three out of five beaches with the poorest water quality are located in Dublin, a report has found.
Sandymount Strand, Merrion Strand, and Portrane (the Brook) Beach have received the lowest rating for the quality of bathing water, according to the 2018 EPA Bathing Water report.
The other two are Lilliput (Lough Ennell) in Co. Westmeath and Clifden, Co. Galway.
In Dublin, Sandymount Strand and Portrane Beach have been rated as 'poor' for the last two years.
The report examined the bathing water quality during the long hot summer of 2018.
It was found that Merrion Strand could be declassified as a bathing location if it fails tests for the fifth year in a row.
It found that 94% of the 145 identified bathing waters met the minimum EU standards.
Although previously rated poor, the quality of water at Loughshinny and Rush (South Beach) in Fingal has improved.
Meanwhile Forty Foot Bathing Place and Sandycove beach were newly identified last year and will be classified after the 2019 bathing season, the report states.
Andy Fanning, programme manager of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment said:
“It is great to see local authorities identifying new bathing waters with excellent water quality.
“At the other end of the scale, we have five bathing waters that have been classified as poor.
“More intensive action needs to be taken by local authorities to address the issues and protect the health of bathers.”
