Madam, - As a regular sea swimmer I am concerned once again about the bathing water quality in the south Dublin area, specifically Seapoint.
Having swum there on Tuesday night last, the following day I felt symptoms which included a sore throat and a general feeling of being "off colour". I'm not alone in feeling this way either. A number of follow swimmers mentioned feeling similarly unwell.
Although, I wasn't affected myself on that occasion, these symptoms are remarkably similar to those experienced by a number of swimmers as a result of the appalling situation which developed in August last year. This occurred as a result of the local pumping station being unable to deal with excessive rainfall and under these circumstances releasing faecal matter into the sea, thereby jeopardising public health.
On one occasion the pollution was seven times the permitted safe bathing limits. As a result the Blue Flag status that Seapoint currently enjoys once again was removed, although it was so late in the season that this may not have been as obvious as if it had occurred earlier. I see overflows have already occurred this "summer" season as a result of notices posted by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on the public notice board at Seapoint.
This transparent approach contrasts starkly with the council's adopted stance last year, in the media, which was one of denial and subterfuge, blaming everything but the actual reason for the situation. Algae and nappies were two of the risible reasons cited by the council in 2007 to explain both the terrible odour which permeated the area and the clearly verifiable breaches of water quality as a result of faecal matter. Indeed the mere fact that the notices mentioning overflows were posted at all this year gives the lie to the excuses peddled last year.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council had better adopt a different approach on this occasion as bathers affected may well adopt the old adage of once bitten, twice shy. Furthermore, having just recently conferred special amenity status on the whole of Dublin Bay, I would be curious to hear Minister for the Environment, John Gormley's thoughts on this whole business. - Yours, etc,
DAVID MARLBOROUGH,
Kenilworth Park,
Dublin 6.