Debate contribution: Bathing Waters
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 28 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Bathing Waters
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5762249
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I am committed to ensuring that Northern Ireland's bathing waters framework remains fit for purpose and reflects how people use our rivers, lakes and coastal waters today. Protecting public health and improving water quality remain central to my intent. Northern Ireland continues to enjoy high-quality bathing waters, with the vast majority of identified bathing waters achieving either an "excellent" or "good" classification in recent years. To build on that success, my Department recently completed a public consultation on the bathing waters policy review.
The review has considered a range of proposals designed to modernise the current framework, including improving public information and health messaging, reviewing bathing water identification arrangements, considering a more risk-based approach to monitoring, strengthening arrangements for poorly performing bathing waters, extending the bathing season and ensuring that the framework reflects modern patterns of recreational water use.
At the same time, participation in recreational water activities has continued to evolve, and it is important that the policy framework keeps pace with those changes. The consultation closed on 21 August 2026, and my officials are analysing the responses and assessing all relevant implications. This is an opportunity to modernise the bathing water programme for generations to come, safeguarding the health of bathers and those who participate in recreational water activities. That work will complement the wider measures that are being taken by my Department to improve water quality across Northern Ireland. I will make final decisions on the future direction of bathing water policy by the end of November 2026.
251 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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