The Blue Flag is a recognised ‘Eco Label. It is owned and run by the independent non-profit organisation, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

It is operated in Ireland by the environmental education unit of An Taisce. It is a symbol of high environmental standards and is an award given to communities that make a special effort to keep their beaches and marinas clean and manage them with consideration for the local environment.
The flag is awarded annually and is valid for one year only.

Dublin City Council (DCC) monitors the quality of the water in Dublin bay on a monthly basis. The water in Dublin bay may reach blue flag standards but there are 27 criteria which must be complied with in order to achieve this award, some are imperative others are guidelines.

In brief what is required to achieve blue flag status include:
• Easy and safe access
• sufficient and clean public toilets
• first aid must be available
• access to dogs must be controlled
• access for people with disabilities
• proper maintenance of beach facilities
• bathing water quality must be posted
• recreational activities on the beach must not endanger any beach use
• sufficient litter bins must be available and the area cleaned on a regular basis.
• no camping, unauthorised driving or dumping on the beach.

Maybe we should aim to achieve this coveted award for the beaches in Dublin 4 by 2007, which will be the 20th anniversary of the awarding of the Blue Flag. In the words of a well-known politician “a lot done more to do.”