Life’s a Blue Flag beach!

LOCAL Southsiders and staff at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have been praised for their efforts that saw both Killiney and Seapoint beaches retain their coveted Blue Flag status this year.

The Southside beaches were among a total of 144 International Blue Flag Award and National Green Coast Award recipients for 2015.

Speaking at an awards ceremony on Ballinskelligs Beach in Kerry, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly, said Blue Flags represented excellence.

“They are a clear signal of quality and are something to be cherished,

? he said.

“I am delighted to announce that today we will be awarding a total of 86 Blue Flags – 81 for beaches and five for marinas.

“A Blue Flag flying at a particular location means that it has achieved excellent water quality to standards set by European and national regulations, and a very high grade across a wide range of other criteria.

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The minister added:

“This is testament to the sterling efforts of local authorities, An Taisce and of local communities in ensuring that their beaches meet the standards of excellence required for a Blue Flag or Green Coast Award.

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Annabel FitzGerald, Coastal Programmes Manager, said the beaches and marinas that achieved the accolade have complied with strict criteria relating to water quality, safety, facilities for visitors, beach management, environmental education and the provision of information.

She said that an important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of Clean Coasts groups of which there are now 440 comprised of thousands of volunteers throughout the island.

“Clean Coasts groups contribute significantly to the protection of Ireland’s coast,

? she said.

“In 2014 over 800 beach cleans took place and these groups removed over 500,000 items of marine litter from the marine environment.

“Local authorities, marina operators and local communities should be commended for their efforts in achieving Blue Flag and Green Coast Award status.

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Cllr Cormac Devlin (FF) congratulated and praised the Southside volunteers and council staff for the work that they had done over the past 12 months.

“These individuals are responsible for the retention of the coveted Blue Flag status for both Killiney and Seapoint beaches,

? he said.

“Many of these volunteers have given selflessly of their time for the betterment of this precious amenity and for the enjoyment of the wider community.

“The news that these Blue Flags have been retained is extremely welcome, especially at a time when Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and other organisations are seeking to attract a greater number of tourists to the Southside.

“The staff of the council must also be recognised for the role that they played in ensuring that our coastline is maintained to such a high standard.

“They all collectively deserve our praise and appreciation. This internationally recognised symbol is the quality assurance symbol of a clean and safe coastline.

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Cllr Devlin added:

“It is important that everyone continues to work together to enable these beaches to retain their status in the years to come.

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