Kerry County Councillors have adopted amendments to the beach bye-laws to allow saunas to operate on selected beaches.
The plans were discussed at the monthly meeting of Kerry County Council, which heard Ballybunion North Beach will be excluded from the plans.
The public were given the opportunity to have their say on proposed amendments to the Beach Bye-Laws 2022.
These changes involved regulating sauna services and related commercial activities on selected beaches in Kerry; these are Ballyheigue Beach, Trá Baile an Sceilg, Ballybunion South, Banna, Fenit, Inch, Maharabeg, Kells, White Strand (Cahersiveen), Fionn Trá and Rossbeigh.
16 submissions were made in total; seven related to the sauna unit in Banna and were mostly positive and outlined the benefits.
A further two submissions were made in relation to Inch, one was made in relation to Bunavalla Pier and two general submissions about saunas on beaches were made.
These looked at safety concerns around traffic management at Inch, while the general submissions raised concerns around the potential impact on water quality, the visual impact and potential noise pollution.
Four other submissions were made in relation to the Ladies Beach in Ballybunion and these cited concerns around the impact on an existing business on this beach that has historical significance.
Kerry County Council says taking account these submissions and the potential impact in the existing seaweed baths business, the amendment to the bye-laws will exclude Ballybunion North beach.
The council says the amendment to the bye-laws provides for a sauna at Ballybunion South Beach.
The progress was praised by councillors who voted in favour of adopting the amended beach bye-laws.
