Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-18
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John Connolly (FF), Galway West

I ask that the Government offer some guidance to local authorities on providing access to our bathing waters for people with limited mobility or wheelchair users. The bathing season commenced on 1 June. That term is somewhat archaic. I think we need to look at it. Many people cannot access the waters, and there seems to be some divergence among local authorities as to how they address this situation. I understand that Mayo County Council is very proactive in the area. Unfortunately, however, despite having the apparatus to do so and despite there being two blue-flag beaches in Galway city, people with limited mobility or wheelchair users cannot access our bathing waters. There is a young family in my community. Their daughter, Ruby, a lovely child, is a wheelchair user and she has a strong desire to get to the bathing waters with her family when the weather is good, something I have the good fortune to be able to take for granted for my children. I ask that the Government offer some direction to local authorities as to how they can address this.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-18