Hiring enough lifeguards to cover Kerry's needs is an "absolute struggle".
That's according to the director of corporate services at Kerry County Council, Martin O’Donoghue.
He was responding to a motion at this week's full Kerry County Council meeting by Sinn Fein councillor Paul Daly.
Cllr Paul Daly called for lifeguards to be present on Kerry beaches for at least two more weeks during the summer.
Lifeguards must be present on the Kingdom's 15 blue flag beaches during the traditional bathing season between 1st June and 15th September.
Kerry County Council assigns beach lifeguards to the beaches at weekends during June and early September, and on a full-time basis during July and August.
Cllr Daly said that extending this would be great publicity for Kerry's beaches, would facilitate extra tourists, and support the explosion in sea swimming by locals which began during lockdown.
Councillor Deirdre Ferris added that changing weather patterns mean that there is no typical summer season, and that people go to the beach whenever the weather is good, but there often no lifeguard on duty.
Martin O’Donoghue told councillors that it is extremely difficult to recruit enough beach lifeguards to cover requirements for the existing bathing season, let alone for an extended season.
He said the vast majority of the lifeguards are students, either at secondary or further education level, and that they're not available outside this period.
He added that events like Electric Picnic, which young people attend, often further reduces lifeguard cover.
Lifeguards in Kerry are required to have a Water Safety Ireland National Beach Lifeguard Award, or an internationally recognised equivalent award, and have participated in an open water assessment.
