Mr Phil Hogan T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, today (9 June 2011) presented the 2011 Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards in a ceremony at Curracloe Beach, Co Wexford.
Speaking today at the ceremony the Minister paid tribute to all the various stakeholders. "Behind each of the 84 recipients lies a team of people who worked extremely hard to make the grade and to each and every one of them I extend my sincere congratulations," said the Minister.
The Blue Flag is an international award for beach excellence which is operated in Ireland by An Taisce with support from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The award is presented to beaches and marinas which have excellent water quality and which achieve high standards across a wide range of other criteria including management of the environment, safety and other services. This year, 84 Blue Flags have been awarded, an increase of 8 in the number awarded in 2010. Of the total number, 82 Blue Flags went to beaches with 2 marinas, Killinure Point at Glasson, Lough Ree and Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, also earning the coveted award.
The Blue Flag programme has been operating in Ireland since 1988 and in the years since then, the Blue Flag has become a highly respected, internationally recognised eco-label of huge significance to the tourism sectors. The tourism sector was targeted in the Government’s recent jobs initiative which saw a reduction in the VAT rate from 13.5% to 9% on a range of tourism-related products and services along with other incentives.
Referring to the commitment in the Programme for Government to improve the tourism product, including the development of events focusing on water-based recreation, the Minister remarked that the value of good quality bathing water to the tourism industry cannot be underestimated.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister noted that the award of 84 Blue Flags equalled Ireland’s best ever performance when 84 Blue Flags were also awarded in 2006. Minister Hogan remarked: "This increase is very welcome and is due to the combined efforts of the Local Authorities and coastal communities on the ground as well as those in the wider catchment who are playing their part in working to improve water quality."
The Minister also said he was delighted that the number of Green Coast awards had increased to 58, from 46 in 2010. Introduced in 2008, the Green Coast awards are given to beaches which have excellent water quality but which may be less developed than Blue Flag beaches. The Green Coast programme covers the whole coastline of Ireland and is facilitated through a partnership between An Taisce, Tidy Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has provided funding to An Taisce to support the nationwide roll-out of the awards and the authorities in Northern Ireland have similarly provided funding there. The programme is also sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and Coca-Cola.
An important aspect of the Green Coast Awards is the involvement of Coastcare Volunteer Groups. There are now over 170 Coastcare groups established throughout the island. The Minister paid tribute to the work of these groups stating that they "provide a strong indication of the dedication that individuals have to the improvement of their communities and surroundings".
The Minister encouraged beach users to make use of the bathing water information available on linked websites – www.beachawards.ie and www.bathingwater.ie – run by An Taisce and the EPA respectively, during the bathing season, saying: "The provision of the most up to date information on water quality, tides, weather and presence of lifeguards at our beaches is of great benefit to the general public".