Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last month, the EPA published its 2021 report on urban wastewater treatment. It found that only half of sewerage is treated to EU standards with more than 2.5 million tonnes of raw sewage being pumped into our seas and rivers every year. This pollutes our environment and poses a real health risk to the public. The most recent EU monitor report found that we have a compliance rate of 44% for the proportion of water that meets the requirements of the directive compared with an EU average of 76%. Raw sewage is being discharged daily into 32 of our towns and villages, eight of which are in my home county of Donegal, namely, Burtonport, Coolatee, Falcarragh, Kerrykeel, Kilcar, Moville, Ramelton and Rathmullan.

As the Minister of State knows, raw sewage contains bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause illness. The fact that so many in my county of Donegal are exposed to these risks is completely unacceptable. In 2015, seven years ago, I submitted a complaint to the European Commission regarding the State's failure to deliver a sewerage scheme in my home town of Gweedore. On receipt of that complaint, the Commission took infringement proceedings against the State. Seven years later, the main scheme is yet to commence and only the demonstrations scheme, with 50 houses connected, has been completed.

It is deeply concerning that it is not planned to connect five of the towns in Donegal - Coolatee, Falcarragh, Moville, Ramelton and Rathmullan - to a treatment plant until the second half of this decade. The EPA has drawn attention to the fact that Irish Water has produced various plans and timeframes over the years to eliminate discharges of raw sewage but often changes these plans and extends its timeframes to complete this work, thereby prolonging the risks to the environment and public health. We have seen that happen far too often. This does not instil faith in these deadlines ever being met. They should, in fact, be accelerated.

I am pleading with the Minister of State on behalf of citizens in Donegal. They cannot accept being, yet again, an outlier in the provision of basic services and infrastructure. Irish Water and the Minister must ensure the infrastructure needed to stop raw sewage discharges is built in the interest of public health for the people of Donegal. We will not wait until the end of this decade for that to happen.

See this speech in context