EU fine looms over sewage put out to sea

THE European Court of Justice yesterday ruled Ireland contravened an EU waste water directive — signed 17 years ago — and may face a fine, after sewage that was not fully treated was released from six big towns into the sea.

The finding means Ireland has more rulings against it on environmental issues than any other EU member state — with the exception of Italy.

Environment Minister John Gormley admitted the case should have been resolved before now and said his department was working to address the problems identified.

But the European Commission warned the actions being taken may not be sufficient — as a growth in the population is in danger of helping to overload what treatment systems have been put in place.

“Those in charge of giving planning permissions need to take into account the availability of water treatment plants in the area and whether they could cope with the extra housing,” the official said.

Under the waste water directive, the Government should have had adequate sewage treatment systems in place eight years ago, in every town with more than 15,000.

The case cited six towns, Bray, Shangannagh, Howth, Sligo, Tramore and Letterkenny.

The Government conceded the case in relation to all the towns except Letterkenny, but the court found the plant there was overloaded regularly since 1975.

Mr Gormley said the Tramore scheme was finished last year, while work is under way on the others.

Letterkenny’s scheme was due to start late next year.

“This case highlights the continued need for investment in water services generally,” said Mr Gormley.

“This is a case that should have been resolved before this but, due to mainly technical or legal difficulties, the necessary waste water treatment plants have not been provided,”

He said this year alone the Government will spend €500 million on water services, on top of a similar sum spent over the past few years.

But Ireland West MEP Marian Harkin pointed out that there are many towns throughout the country in a similar situation to those named in the court action, and they have no or inadequate treatment systems.

She accused the Government of grossly mismanaging the waste water investment programme, which she said has left many communities with water that was undrinkable and facilities incapable of meeting EU standards.

“Any objective analysis of the cryptosporidium problem, which forced the people of Galway to boil water for lengthy periods, would indicate the dead-hand of the Department of the Environment in failing to approve the resources necessary to ensure the quality of drinking water, while similar situations pertain in other parts of the country in relation to discharges to rivers and seas,” she said.

The European Commission will evaluate the progress made on the treatment plants cited in the case and, if after a reasonable period of time not enough has been achieved, they will return to court to ask it to enforce the ruling — possibly through a fine.