Cheevers wants Blue Flag status for Ballyloughane
Cllr Alan Cheevers wants Galway City Council to ensure Ballyloughane beach achieves Blue Flag status.
Significant work has been carried out by a number of local representatives in the area with Cllr Cheevers acknowledging the efforts of Cllr Terry O’Flaherty.
“We’ve had report after report,” Cheevers says. “I accept a lot of work has been done in the last few years.
“I accept the likes of Cllr O’Flaherty and other representatives, who were there before my time have been working on this. We don’t seem to have an endgame.
“What we need to see is an endgame. We need to see when this is going to come to a conclusion.
“Are we going to have good bathing water for 2021 and then be back to square one in 2022? We need to have consistency.
“That is the key, like Salthill, like Silver Strand. That is what I’m asking for as well as the investment in the infrastructure to bring it up to Blue Flag status like Silver Strand and Salthill.”
Cllr Cheevers is hopeful that the infrastructure surrounding Ballyloughane beach can be improved.
“In relation to the Blue Flag the situation is I asked for a commitment from Galway City Council that they would put money in towards getting the infrastructure,” Cllr Cheevers added.
“Not just the bathing water quality, but the infrastructure as regards toilets, changing facilities, and disabled access towards getting the Blue Flag status. — Cian O’Connell
O’Flaherty delighted at swimming news for Ballyloughane
Cllr Terry O’Flaherty is delighted that swimming is expected to be allowed at Ballyloughane beach this summer.
Galway City Council officials indicated that Ballyloughane’s bathing water should meet the required standard.
“It’s particularly important that swimming be allowed at Ballyloughane this summer, as so many people will be staying in Ireland for their holidays and this is such a perfect location for families, both visitors and locals, particularly for the users in the east side of the city,” Cllr O’Flaherty says.
“And after years of swimming bans that have been such a huge disappointment to everyone, it looks likely that the excellent water quality results of the past few years will mean that it will be deemed safe for swimming again.”
For several years Cllr O’Flaherty has campaigned for Ballyloughane beach.
“The improvements that have taken place are as a result of a meeting I set up with the heads of Irish Water, city council officials and Deputy Noel Grealish and the commitment given at that meeting that the water quality in Ballyloughane would be prioritised,” Cllr O’Flaherty adds.
“While I’m disappointed that it has taken almost seven years, I feel that this problem — although a complicated one — should have been sorted out long before now. There were times I felt more of an effort should have been put into this project.
“I look forward to continued improvements to this beautiful facility which we are very fortunate to have here in this side of the city.” — Cian O’Connell
