An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-27
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Mike Kennelly (FG), Labour Panel

As the good weather arrives, people naturally rush to our beaches, lakes and coastline to enjoy the sunshine. Too often, however, many go into the water without fully understanding the real dangers that can exist beneath the surface. Calm waters can change in moments. Strong rip currents like we have in north Kerry, cold water shock, hidden tides and sudden water changes can turn a day out into a tragedy within minutes. Sadly, there has been an incident recently that has devastated a family and shaken a community. I send my sympathies to the family of Abbie Carmody-Pepper on her recent passing.
In Kerry, we are proud to have 15 blue flag beaches and two blue flag marinas, which attract thousands of visitors whenever the weather improves. However, with that popularity comes responsibility. The good weather can come either in the bathing season or outside it. We are currently outside the official bathing season, which normally runs from 1 June to 15 September, with many of our beaches being left without lifeguard protection. This week alone, heat records have been broken twice and beaches across the county have been packed with people despite there being no lifeguard on duty to protect the public in many locations. We saw the danger of that clearly only last Monday at the beautiful Banna beach in north Kerry, with an incident that, fortunately, had a positive outcome. We may not be so lucky the next time.
We cannot continue waiting for calendar dates while temperatures soar and crowds gather at our beaches and coastline. Water safety services must respond to real conditions, not just at certain times of the year. I call on all coastal local authorities across the country to provide lifeguard cover whenever extreme warm weather brings large numbers to the beaches. Public safety must come first and we cannot just stick to a calendar. We need a contingency plan whereby if there is good weather outside of their fixed-term agreements, lifeguards will be provided to cover the beaches.
There is also the issue of awareness. We need a strong water safety campaign reminding people to respect the water, never swim alone, supervise children closely and understand that even experienced swimmers can get into difficulty. Good weather should bring enjoyment, not heartbreak. Coastal local authorities must act now to raise awareness, including through all social media platforms, that people need to think before they act and be aware of dangers and risks to public safety.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:00+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-27