To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline the measures included in the Bathing Waters Policy Review for Northern Ireland.

Mr Muir

My Department has launched a 12-week public consultation on proposed measures as part of the bathing waters policy review for Northern Ireland. The consultation seeks views on a range of proposals to modernise and improve the bathing waters programme. They include how bathing water information is communicated to users; the length and flexibility of the bathing season; the introduction of a risk-based approach to bathing water monitoring; revised criteria for the identification of bathing waters; improved monitoring and management of candidate sites; the removal of automatic de-identification of sites; ensuring that monitoring locations better reflect usage patterns; and the consideration of wider stakeholder recommendations. In addition, the consultation provides an opportunity for members of the public to propose new bathing water sites through a dedicated application process. My Department will shortly host an information webinar to provide further detail on the proposals and clarify any queries from the public. The consultation closes on Friday 21 August 2026.

Mr Muir

Event duration monitors could play a key role in near-real-time reporting and therefore improve transparency and keep users informed of water quality at bathing waters. The technologies monitor the event and duration of spills from combined sewer overflows. That could improve public messaging, enabling more informed decision-making by bathers, and enhance public confidence in the bathing water programme. My Department is working with Northern Ireland Water on a pilot initiative to explore the use of EDMs with enhanced data reporting to support more timely identification of pollution events at bathing waters. The aspiration is to have a public-facing version of the pilot within the next year. As part of the bathing waters policy review, my Department is considering how best to strengthen communication with users. Any future approach that involves EDMs will build on the existing bathing water dashboard, which provides an accurate one-stop shop for bathing water information and gives sound public health advice.