BALBRIGGAN, Skerries South Beach, Rush South Beach, Loughshinny, Portrane, Donabate, Malahide, Portmarnock, Sutton and Howth will all have a lifeguard service for the summer bathing season, Fingal County Council has confirmed.
There will be a minimum of two lifeguards at the above stations. At lifeguard stations where there is a rescue boat, there will be three lifeguards on duty.
For the month of June, lifeguards will only be on duty at weekends, while there will be cover seven days a week in July and August. Their hours of operation will be 11am to 7pm.
A spokeswoman for Fingal County Council said that in the event of exceptionally good weather it will be opening additional lifeguard stations at Rush North, Tower Bay Portrane and Portmarnock
“where we have the staff available to do so
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“We will be extending the service on Portmarnock beach to three lifeguard stations, which will be staffed as needs arise through the summer,
? she told Northside People.
“The lifeguards will be on duty for their core hours 11am-7pm. We would advise beach users to observe the signage locally about when a lifeguard is on duty or not.
“If there is a red and yellow flag flying there is a lifeguard on duty and it is safe to swim in the patrol zone.
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The spokeswoman said that members of the public should never swim at a location where there is no lifeguard present, or at times when the lifeguard indicates it is not safe to do so (check the flags). She advised people intending to take to the beach to visit the Irish Water Safety website www.iws.ie for full details on water safety and how to have a safe visit to the beach or coast.
There were a couple of high profile anti-social incidents on our beaches last summer, most notably at Portmarnock, when we had exceptionally warm weather.
The council’s spokeswoman said that along with An Garda Siochana, it is very aware of the particular disturbances in 2013.
“Both agencies are in contact to ensure that there is appropriate policing on the ground if there is a likelihood of similar behaviour this year,
? she stated.
Meanwhile, as with previous years, beaches throughout Fingal will be litter picked on a daily basis by council staff. Bins will be emptied each day and the beach surf-raked every week.
Members of the public are asked to bear in mind that for operational and health and safety reasons the council cannot take vehicles and machinery onto beaches when the public are present.
“For that reason, if people visiting the beach early in the day leave litter behind them, afternoon visitors may be affected by this,
? the spokesperson added.
“We would ask beach users to respect other beach users, and their local environment and amenity by disposing of any litter in the bins provided, or take it home with them.
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