Kerry County Council still doesn’t know what’s causing water quality problems that led to a Ballybunion beach losing its Blue Flag.
In June, An Taisce announced the Ladies Beach wouldn’t be awarded a Blue Flag due to cumulative water quality results.
Local Cllr Robert Beasley believes flood waters from land are to blame for the deterioration in water quality.
He wants the council to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the Blue Flag is returned.
Sinn Féin Cllr Robert Beasley says the loss of the Blue Flag for the Ladies Beach or North Beach in Ballybunion last June was the second time this has happened in 15 years.
He says the status, which recognises a clean beach with good bathing water quality, is so important to the North Kerry / West Limerick area.
Kerry County Council says efforts are being made to regain the Blue Flag; it’ll continue to investigate options, and is liaising with other state agencies.
It notes, however, the issue is complicated citing local drainage patterns, the type of land-use, and the density of development within the beach catchment area.
It also adds it’s still unclear whether the water quality problems are related to local factors, or a wider issue associated with the beach’s location at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary.
Ballybunion Cllr Robert Beasley doesn’t believe developments are causing the water quality problems, that the main issue is flood waters from land.
