Mr. Denis Drennan:

I agree fully with the Chair. This is the problem. I do not know why eutrophication is mentioned in the derogation because it is more a phosphorus problem. According to EPA figures, humans in Ireland create almost as much phosphorus as animals but we have no phosphorus or nitrogen recovery in any municipal waste water plant. When the plant in Dublin is fully upgraded it will have nitrogen and phosphorus recovery but it will not be anywhere else in Ireland. Phosphorus is so water soluble that what we think is clean water being discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plants is heavily laced with phosphorus. This is causing the eutrophic status of many of the rivers in the country, particularly the estuaries. The national settlements are in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford are all on the coast. The waste ends up in the estuaries.