Applications for Designation of Bathing Waters 2026

Overview

Each year, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council must decide which bathing waters (such as the sea, rivers, or lakes) are commonly used by the public for swimming during the bathing season.

To help with this, the public is asked for input to help identify bathing areas.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has guidance explaining:

• what information you need to suggest a bathing area, and
• how these suggestions are assessed.

You can download this guidance from the Resources section on the Beaches.ie website and it is also attached below. 

If a beach in your area is not listed this could be for various reasons such as low numbers of bathers, access issues, poor water quality or limited facilities.

Current identified bathing areas:

• Seapoint Beach 
• Sandycove Beach 
• The Forty Foot Bathing Area 
• Killiney Beach 
• White Rock Beach 
• The Dún Laoghaire Baths

The consultation period runs from Monday 8 June 2026 to Friday 24 July 2026. 

Why your views matter

Making a submission is an important way for you to have your say on how bathing waters in the county are protected, improved, and managed.

By sharing your suggestions, comments, or concerns, you can help shape decisions about the identification, review, and updating of designated bathing water areas.

Public input helps make sure that local knowledge, experiences, and priorities are taken into account. 

It also helps the council meet its legal responsibilities (under the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2008) and provide safe, high-quality bathing areas for everyone.