Council restricts
access of pets to Blue Flag beaches
04.03.22
Lisfannan, Culdaff and Stroove
THE Blue Flag is an
international environmental award made to beaches
throughout the world that demonstrate good environmental
standards and good sanitary and safety facilities. To be
given Blue Flag status a beach must have a high standard
in water quality, environmental management,
environmental education and information, and safety and
services.
To retain the valued Blue Flags beaches, Donegal County
Council must fully comply each year with the criteria
set by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and
is subject to inspections throughout the Bathing Season
(June 1st to September 15th) for compliance.
An Taisce, which operates the Blue Flag programme in
Ireland, has advised local
authorities that they must meet all the rules of the
programme if they are to retain their flags in 2022 and
beyond. These rules include restricting access for dogs
and other pets, other than assistance dogs, to Blue Flag
beaches. The rule applies during the Bathing Season
only. |
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Pets will be restricted
from accessing Stroove beach from 11am to 7pm each day
from 1st June to 15th September 2022. |
With a coastline of over
1100 km, County Donegal is blessed with many beautiful
sandy beaches and it currently has the joint
highest number of Blue Flags nationally with twelve beaches
in the county holding the award. To retain these iconic
awards, the council is putting in place
arrangements to allow pet owners to continue to enjoy
beaches while limiting pet access to certain areas of
Blue Flag beaches at specific times during the bathing
season.
At ten of the Blue Flag beaches in Donegal plus two
other beaches, that it hoped will gain Blue Flags in the
coming years, pets will be restricted from accessing a
portion of the beach from 11am to 7pm each day from 1st
June to 15th September. This area will include the area
supervised by our beach lifeguards plus a buffer either
side. Pet owners can continue to enjoy the other parts
of these beaches with their pets, in accordance with the
existing beach byelaws, at all times.
In Inishowen, these restrictions will apply to Lisfannan and Culdaff
beaches.
Given the size of Stroove beach, there is not sufficient
space to fulfil the compliance with the Blue Flag
criteria and also allow for an additional area for pet
access. Therefore, pets will be restricted from
accessing Stroove beach from 11am to 7pm each day from
1st June to 15th September 2022. |
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