Every day, 7.5m litres of sewage are poured into Irish waters — sixteen years after EU deadline 

Enough sewage to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools — some 7.5m litres — is pumped into Ireland's rivers and seas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Stock picture

Enough sewage to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools — some 7.5m litres — is pouring into Irish seas and rivers every day, 16 years after EU deadlines passed to meet treatment standards.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that only half of Ireland’s sewage meets European standards to protect the environment when 90% is the average across the bloc.