Just one bathing area in the country was classified as "poor" in an Environmental Protection Agency report.

The EPA's 2025 Bathing Water Quality highlighted issues at the Dun Laoghaire Baths in Dublin, which it says was caused by wastewater overflows and dog fouling.

However, 78% of sites were rated "excellent".

Jenny Deakin from the EPA said there are signs of great progress in protecting our waters.

 "98% of our bathing sites met or exceeded the bathing water quality standards, which is fantastic, and 120 sites got the highest quality standard of 'excellent'".

Meanwhile, the number of water warnings issued prior to heavy rain nearly doubled last year, with the EPA saying the rise in heavy downpours is increasing the risk of contamination from waste, urban and agricultural sources.

Uisce Eireann has said continued investment in wastewater infrastructure is helping to improve water quality nationwide.

It says it removed around 85% of raw sewage discharges since 2014 and continues to upgrade treatment plants and sewer networks.

Uisce Éireann’s Wastewater Compliance Senior Manager, Niall Horgan, says heavy rainfall linked to climate change is putting increasing pressure on systems.

"Climate change and the associated heavy rainfall is a challenge for any beach manager looking at the catchment.

"We're seeing more intense rainfall events, that makes it more challenging in terms of managing the runoff from these events, and that requires continued investment in wastewater networks to be able to deal with the effects of climate change and manage overflows in a sustainable manner.