Over 15% of towns and cities in Ireland have failed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) standards for waste water treatment, according to a new report.

The EPA report on Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2017 states that "28 of Ireland's 179 large towns and cities failed to meet standards set to prevent pollution and protect public health".

Commenting on the report, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Water Eoin Ó Broin TD said: "The EPA report published today finds that waste water treatment is completely insufficient in many areas. 

"The report highlights how despite some improvement 38 towns and villages are still discharging raw sewage into the environment.

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"Furthermore in 28 large towns and cities waste water treatment is still failing to meet mandatory standards. 

"As a result The EU Commission commenced infringement proceedings against Ireland in September 2013.

"Thanks to decades of under investment in vital infrastructure, the State could be liable for huge fines as a result of this infringement process."

Deputy Ó Broin continued: "When the EPA attended the Housing Committee last May it outlined the serious problems we are currently facing with the inadequacy of our waste water infrastructure.

"This meeting heard how only €620m would be made available between 2017 and 2021 to fix this problem, however it was previously indicated that €1 billion was needed to bring the infrastructure up to an acceptable standard."

Mr Ó Broin also called on the government and Irish Water to "do more to ensure that the investment to rectify this problem is not delayed".

He concluded: "I have written to the chair of the Housing Committee to seek a meeting on this report with the EPA, Irish Water and the Department of Housing before the end of the year."

(CM/MH)