To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs whether his Department has given consideration to extending water quality monitoring at bathing sites on the North Coast beyond the summer season, in response to changing weather conditions and bathing patterns.

Currently the bathing season runs from the 1 June to the 15 September each year. Responses to the last Bathing Water Review in 2022/23 indicated public support for an extension to the season. Given the potential for significant change to the policy, my department has been sampling outside of the bathing season to inform future policy direction. This data is published on the department’s website and is available via the NI Bathing Water Dashboard.

I have also recently committed to a new Bathing Waters Policy Review for Northern Ireland which will commence shortly. The length to the bathing season will be considered as part of this review.

In addition, due to the public health implication of blue green algae, monitoring continued this year outside of the bathing season at sites likely to be at risk on the North Coast.