Tipperary TD questions Uisce Éireann on discharges into the River Suir

Thurles-based Fianna Fáil TD, Deputy Jackie Cahill has questioned Uisce Éireann about the number of discharges of raw sewage into the River Suir in Thurles town.

Speaking at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture on the topic: Compliance with Nitrates Directives: Implications for Ireland, Deputy Cahill, who is chairman of the committee, said that agriculture is not the only cause of poor water quality in rivers, lakes and watercourses.

He pointed out that other pressures, including from local authorities are also putting pressure on water quality but do not appear to be targeted in the same way as agriculture is.

“We have thirty-five towns throughout the country which have storm water and sewerage in mixed sewers and in my experience, none of those towns have the capacity that they need for their treatment plants.

“Are there any plans to address those thirty five which are fairly large towns and their mixed sewers?

"The way to solve it at the moment in the town I know best is that when you get heavy rain, the sluice gates are opened and the sewerage is let off into the river.

“My town of Thurles has flooded on five occasions in the last six years in isolated incidents during the summer and autumn when we get very heavy rain.

“It disappears within ten minutes because the council worker gets to the treatment plant and lets it all off straight into the River Suir.

“This is happening on a regular basis.

“At the end of the day, water quality will not improve while we have that level of raw sewerage going straight into our streams, but farmers are the only ones who have gotten a penalty. I accept that nitrates and phosphates are different issues, but this issue is still very relevant,” said Mr Cahill said.

In response, Niall Horgan of Uisce Éireann told Deputy Cahill that the 35 towns are associated with significant pressures and there are plans in place to deal with those.

He acknowledged that there is a body of work to be done in terms of water quality improvement and said that many of the issues are being, and will be, addressed in current and future investment cycles.