Any remaining waste water treatment plants which currently discharge raw sewage into waterways should be upgraded by the end of 2026, the joint Oireachtas committee on agriculture heard last Wednesday.

The works required to upgrade these treatment plants are “not a simple business” and span multiple years, said Fintan Towey, the Department of Housing’s water division assistant secretary. Uisce Éireann’s treatment of waste water is identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as impacting negatively on 4% of all water bodies in the State.

“Within the funding that is provided, clearly it is important that non-compliance instances are prioritised for remediation,” said Towey.

“So, there is a plan in place, I don’t have the specifics in front of me right now, but I think that by 2026 the instances of discharge of raw sewage will come to an end.”

Uisce Éireann had been pushed for detail on the timeframe around correcting waste water treatment by TDs and senators, who emphasised that water quality testing up to 2025 would play a key role in negotiations for the post-2025 nitrates derogation for farmers.