Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs whether any assessment has been made of the adequacy of the current frequency of bathing water testing at designated bathing sites.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: Bathing water monitoring in Northern Ireland is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Bathing Water Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008, which set minimum sampling frequencies and standards for classification.
The Regulations require a minimum of four samples per site during the bathing season for classification purposes. However, my Department undertakes a significantly higher level of monitoring, 20 samples per site, during the bathing season, therefore providing a robust evidence base and improved understanding of water quality trends and variability. The sampling regime and classifications for all identified bathing waters are underpinned by analysis by an Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute statistician following ISO accredited methodology.
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