Fingal reviewing sea swimming facilities across the county

Fingal County Council is considering erecting changing facilities at popular sea swimming spots around the county, it has been revealed.

The local authority was responding to a question tabled by Rush-Lusk councillor Adrian Henchy requesting that the council introduce more facilities for swimmers.

He asked that “the Chief Executive, take an interdepartmental approach within Fingal County Council to carry out a comprehensive review and audit of facilities at key strategic locations all along the Fingal Coastal Community especially taking into account public toilets, changing rooms and storage facilities.”

He said that the council could explore the idea of working “in partnership” with Swim Ireland, Open Sea Water Swimming and Bord Fáilte “in order to improve and enhance these destinations as an all-year-round venue that accommodates open sea water swimming.”

In its reply, the council said that the increase in popularity of sea swimming over the past couple of years “has led to unprecedented pressure on emergency services, as many novice users take to the water.

“Both the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI have issued numerous water safety pleas as callouts to open water swimmers have increased.

“In late November of this year, eight separate incidents, in the space of a week, arose in the Dublin-Wicklow area alone.”

It said that challenging sea conditions “intensify” at this time of year “with falling water temperatures, fading light, stormy weather and stronger tidal conditions.”

The council says it is currently reviewing the provision of changing facilities along the coast, but is weary of not “endorsing” swimming at unsafe locations by placing changing rooms at “unsafe locations.”

“There are currently no changing facilities or showering facilities operated by the Council for open swimmers.

“The provision of these services is currently under review,” it said.

“There is a local arrangement in place with the public toilets at Tower Bay.

“There are two shelters either side of the steps at Low Rock, Portmarnock, which are used by a local swimming group from the area.

“While they are owned by the council they are not a public facility and the Operations Department have no involvement in their management.

“The local swimming group use it as a changing room/tea/coffee facility etc. and they maintain it themselves.

“Open sea swimming tends to take place at locations that are not safe for all users.

“The provision of facilities at these locations may be misinterpreted as an endorsement by the council of bathing at unsafe locations.

“The only locations considered safe for bathing are those which are currently life-guarded for the bathing season.”