Most Irish beaches and freshwater bathing sites met with European Union hygiene standards, the Commission’s annual bathing water report shows.
Just four of 122 beaches in the Republic in 2007 failed to meet the mandatory standards of hygiene set out in the EU’s Bathing Water Directive.
These were Na Forbacha and Clifden in Co Galway, Balbriggan in Co Dublin and the main beach in Youghal Co Cork.
They failed to meet the EU test because of concentrations of pollutants such as sewage.
A further 19 beaches also failed to meet a higher aspirational "guide" level designed to encourage cleaner bathing water.
Nine of these were in Co Dublin: Skerries, Sutton, Portmarnock, Merrion Strand, Bray, Greystones, Donabate, Malahide, Loughshinny.
The other ten were Eniscrone and Rosses Point in Co Sligo, Seapoint in Co Louth, Duncannon in Co Wexford, Bonmahon, Dunmore East (Main Strand), Ardmore in Co Waterford, Laytown in Co Meath, Spiddal and Tra Chaladh Bhfuinnse in Co Galway.
According to the report, 96.7 per cent of Irish beaches met the mandatory hygiene level in 2007, a similar performance to 2006.
But the number passing the more stringent guide standard, promoted by the Commission, fell from 91 per cent in 2006 to 81 per cent in 2007, the poorest peformance since 1998.
The nine freshwater bathing sites listed by the Irish authorities for inclusion in the report all passed the mandatory hygiene levels.
But three sites Ballyallia, Co Clare, Keeldra, Co Leitrim and Portumna Bathing Place, Co Galway failed to meet the higher standard.
The report noted that since 1991, when testing began, compliance with mandatory values has remained steady in Ireland ranging between 95 and 100 per cent.
But compliance with the higher aspirational standards has fluctuated between 75 and 92 per cent.
The EU average for mandatory compliance for 2007 was 95 per cent for beaches and 89 per cent for rivers and lakes.
