All sectors in Ireland must play their part in improving water quality across the island according to Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary and chairperson of Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, Jackie Cahill.
The comments follow the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water quality report which stated that sewage was being pumped into national waterways daily i.e., the equivalent of three Olympic swimming pools worth of sewage.
Deputy Cahill stated that the report released by the EPA was “highly concerning”.
He also stated that the blame can no longer be laid solely at the feet of farmers.
He added that “both the health and environmental impacts of this disastrous situation could be damaging in the extreme”.
“I recently received a number of Parliamentary Question responses that stated that 61 settlements and villages in Tipperary alone have no wastewater treatment plants,” he explained.
Deputy Cahill emphasised the fact that there is “little urgency” from Uisce Éireann in tackling this issue.
He added that two major towns in north Tipperary – Thurles and Nenagh – both have mixed sewer systems.
This would mean that both stormwater and wastewater are mixing in the treatment plants that are completely inadequate to deal with the quantities flowing into them in both towns, he said.
Other concerns regarding water quality report
Deputy Cahill also highlighted that the EPA report raised serious concerns about the impact on human health from having raw sewage flowing into local waterways,
He said: “It is clear that huge investment is needed in our wastewater treatment plants nationally, and this is needed immediately,” the TD said.
“It is ironic that when water quality deteriorates in Ireland, the finger is immediately pointed solely at farmers with livestock, even when we are presented with reports as shocking as the one released by the EPA.
“The only people to get penalised as a result of recent EPA reports are farmers in derogation,” he added.
According to Deputy Cahill, this is putting “huge pressure” and “threatening” the viability of these farmers.
“Until all sectors play their part in preventing the pollution of our waterways, it is not right that one group would be singled out to carry the financial burden, when they are clearly not at fault for the vast quantities of raw sewage going into our water system.
“We only have to look to Co. Leitrim to prove this point, where there is very little livestock farming, and yet it is marked in the ‘red zone’ for farming nitrates.”
According to Deputy Cahill “it makes no sense” and in his view it demonstrates that livestock farming is not the major problem here.
He said that he is certain that farmers will play their part, but stated that it is time for the major pollution from the sewage systems to be tackled and for Uisce Éireann to get to work immediately.