Five towns in Cork are continuing to discharge raw sewage into the environment.
The Environmental Protection Agency says nationally 34 areas released raw sewage into the environment every day last year, because they didn't have treatment plants - one fewer than in 2019.
The watchdog says it could take over two decades to bring the country's waste water infrastructure up to standard.
€144 million has been invested in the lower harbour on a project which will see wastewater from Ringaskiddy, Crosshaven, Carrigaline, Passage-Monkstown, and Cobh fully treated.
However five areas in Cork were identifed in the report where there is ''no treatment - discharging raw sewage' including Ballycotton, Castletownbere, Castletownshend, Inchigeelagh and Whitegate-Aghada
Enforcement officer with the EPA, Noel Byrne, says Irish Water isn't doing enough to tackle the sewage issue.
"There are 34 areas that discharged raw sewage in 2020.
"A third of these areas won't be delivered until post 2024 due to delays, which is unacceptable.
"The volume of raw sewage that goes out through these is literally four Olympic size swimming pools getting flushed out daily into the environment."
