Waterford Council says it is unable to provide lifeguards at Bonmahon Beach until the end of the month.
It has said there is a lack of sufficiently trained and qualified lifeguards with many not able to take up their roles as they're currently sitting the Leaving Cert.
The news comes following Sunday's scenes where two children were rescued by an onlooker after they were caught by a rip tide and dragged out.
A lifeguard service is provided at several other beaches in Waterford, but not Bonmahon as it lacks Blue Flag status.
Elaine, whose 10-year-old daughter and 11-year-old cousin were rescued on Sunday, told WLR FM that she lost sight of her so quickly. While emergency service crews had tried to respond, they were impeded by cars blocking the entrance to the water.
"No-one will understand how quick this happened and it could have been so much worse," Elaine O'Connor Cahill told broadcaster Damien Tiernan.
She praised the man who rescued her daughter Katie and cousin on Sunday, recounting how they suddenly rose from the water and managed to make it to safety.
"All I could see was water for miles. I looked to Heaven and I said 'Please don't do this to me, I said, please don't do this to me, please leave them with us'. And with that, their heads popped up. The next minute the little boy was on the boogie board with them."
Council's response
Responding to calls for lifeguards at the beach, Waterford Council has cited a a lack of sufficiently trained and qualified lifeguards. The Leaving Cert is partly to blame for the shortage, with one-third of lifeguards currently sitting exams.
"We are unable to provide a lifeguard service at Bunmahon during June due to the unavailability of sufficiently trained and qualified lifeguards," a spokesman said.
"Lifeguards are recruited by the council by open competition and all lifeguards are required to have certification as National Beach Lifeguards from Water Safety Ireland. Ordinarily, the lifeguards recruited by the Council are young adults looking for summer work when on holidays from school and college."
"Waterford City and County Council commenced the Beach Lifeguard Service at the 5 Blue Flag beaches from 5 June 2021 and we expanded this to a full-time seven-day a week service at the five Blue Flag beaches until the end of August.
"A fulltime service at Bunmahon beach will commence as soon as the numbers of trained and qualified Lifeguards are available, and it is intended that this service will commence with effect from 28 June."
