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 identified in the report where there is ''no treatment - discharging raw sewage' including Ballycotton, Castletownbere, Castletownshend, Inchigeelagh and Whitegate-AghadaEnforcement officer with the EPA, Noel Byrne, says Irish Water isn't doing enough to tackle the sewage issue:
"There's 34 areas discharging raw sewage in 2020 and that's in towns such as Kilmokea in Wexford or Kilkee in Clare and a third of these areas won't be delivered to post 2024, due to delays, which is unacceptable. And actually the volume of raw sewage that is going out through these, is literally four Olympic sized swimming pools, they get flushed into the environment."
