Swimming at Merrion Strand in Dublin will be banned permanently from June 1st.

It's after the beach in Dublin Bay failed to meet minimum EU standards for the fifth consecutive year.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says Dublin City Council can apply to reclassify the beach if improvements are made.

However, it will take a number of years for sampling.

It's the first time swimming on an Irish beach has been permanently banned due to consistent poor water quality.

Green Party councillor Donna Cooney said one of the main problems at Merrion is that two polluted streams flow onto the beach.

She explained: "It's not just human sewage - they've found even horse faeces.

"There is a particular difficulty there, [and] it's something that has been left for far too many years."

Pairic Doyle from Dublin City Council says they've now set up a taskforce to improve the water quality at the strand.

Representatives from Irish Water, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council and the Government will also take part in the efforts to resolve the situation.

The planned swimming ban at Merrion Strand comes after the EPA released its annual report on bathing water quality.

140 of 147 bathing waters tested met or exceeded the minimum required standard, with three spots classified for the first time - the Forty Foot Bathing Place, White Rock Beach and Sandycove Beach - being classed as 'excellent' or 'good' quality.

As well as Merrion Strand, four other bathing areas were classified as poor - Portrane (the Brook) Beach in Dublin, Ballyloughane Beach and Clifden Beach in Galway, and Lilliput at Lough Ennell in Westmeath.

The EPA says that while swimming can be good for people's physical and mental well-being, it's important for the public to continue to follow all public COVID-19 health advice when swimming this year.

Main image: File photo of Merrion Strand. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie