THE LIFTING of an unprecedented swimming and surfing ban imposed on three beaches in Co Clare has led to calls for a full investigation.
On Friday, Clare County Council and the Health Service Executive banned entry to the water at Lahinch, Kilkee and Spanish Point after traces of E.coli were discovered during routine sampling.
While samples taken on Wednesday showed levels to be within mandatory safety limits, the council and the HSE still decided on the ban saying it would take 48 hours for the results of additional tests to be available.
Those results were not expected until late yesterday. However the ban was lifted a day early on Saturday after samples showed that the bacterial levels had dropped significantly.
Michael Vaughan, whose Lahinch hotel suffered cancellations from several surfers, is concerned that the town’s ageing sewerage infrastructure could be behind the problem.
Mr Vaughan, who is also Irish Hotels Federation president, said: “I think the EPA should be called in to investigate . . . and if it is found that the sewerage system in Lahinch is at fault, measures should be taken immediately . . . We have been very concerned about the sewer network for many years.”
Questions have also been asked about how the matter has been handled with the authorities being accused of an overreaction.
Hundreds of swimmers, paddlers and surfers ignored warnings and still took to the water during the best weather the county has seen for weeks.
“Why weren’t other beaches affected?” Senator Martin Conway (North Clare, Fine Gael) asked. “There are several beaches between Kilkee and Lahinch and apart from Spanish Point, swimming wasn’t banned at any of these. I will be looking for a full and detailed report, particularly from the HSE, on what has happened here.”
The blue flag status of Lahinch and Kilkee was temporarily revoked until bacterial levels returned to normal limits.