Two decades is too long to wait to fix Ireland’s deficient wastewater treatment plants, says EPA.
The number of towns and villages discharging raw sewage every day has reduced from 29 down to 16 since the beginning of 2023.
Wastewater treatment at 10 large towns and cities failed to meet European Union standards set to protect the environment.
Uisce Éireann’s delays in delivering improvements at priority areas, where wastewater is adversely impacting rivers and coastal waters are prolonging risks to water quality.
Wastewater discharged from over half of treatment plants did not always meet the licence standards set to prevent pollution.
The EPA’s Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2023 report, released today, highlights progress in wastewater treatment, including a 45% reduction in the number of towns and villages discharging raw sewage, since the start of 2023. Nevertheless, wastewater treatment at many areas is not good enough to prevent wastewater discharges from impacting the quality of rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters. All deficient wastewater works must be brought up to the standards required to protect the environment but, based on Uisce Éireann estimates, this could take over two decades and will require substantial investment. As it is not possible to fix all the problems in the short term, improvements must be prioritised where they are needed most. The EPA has identified 73 priority areas where improvements in wastewater treatment are most urgently needed to protect our environment. Uisce Éireann has not yet started upgrade works at half of these.
Sixteen towns and villages discharging raw sewage in mid-2024.
Launching the report, Dr Tom Ryan, EPA Director said: “Investment has resulted in stopping raw sewage discharges during the past year from 13 towns and villages that were priority areas highlighted by the EPA. This demonstrates that such investment protects our environment and benefits our local communities. The much-needed upgrade of Ireland’s largest treatment plant at Ringsend in Dublin, treating over 40 per cent of all national wastewaters, is now well advanced, and this is to be welcomed. However, wastewater discharges continue to be a significant pressure on water quality in many of our rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters. Without an ambitious and sustained investment programme to build out our wastewater treatment infrastructure it could take over two decades to achieve the required standards to protect the environment. At an operational level, Uisce Éireann’s slow progress in designing and delivering the solutions needed at the waters most affected by wastewater discharges are prolonging impacts on water quality. Uisce Éireann must prioritise the prompt delivery of these essential works.”
The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive sets general European wide treatment standards for large towns and cities. Ten areas, including Dublin, failed these basic standards in 2023. Wastewater discharge licences issued by the EPA to Uisce Éireann may specify more stringent standards than those in the Directive when such standards are necessary to prevent and reduce pollution of waters. Over half of licensed treatment plants discharge wastewater that does not always meet these licence standards.
Noel Byrne, EPA Programme Manager, said:“Wastewater discharge licences issued by the EPA set out the treatment standards needed to prevent pollution by wastewater discharges and protect our rivers and coastal waters. It is unacceptable that over half of licensed treatment plants do not always meet these standards, with issues ranging from short term breaches of treatment standards up to continuous discharges of raw sewage. The short term breaches should be resolved through effective management and maintenance of equipment. Uisce Éireann must address infrastructural deficits at the priority areas highlighted by the EPA during its 2025 to 2029 investment cycle. This will help deliver significant environmental benefits and protect water quality.”
The report includes a range of recommendations for Uisce Éireann, including the need to speed up its overdue assessments of how wastewater discharges impact shellfish waters, and to collect better information about discharges of untreated wastewater through storm water overflows.
Meanwhile, no public update on progress being made in relation to the River Suir in Thurles; promised by the Local Authority Waters Programme, (LAWPRO).
A record year for CAB in its goal of denying and depriving criminals of the proceeds of crime
Almost €10m seized from criminals
The Criminal Assets Bureau’s (CAB) Annual Report for 2023, has been published, showing a record year for CAB in its goal of denying and depriving criminals of the proceeds of committed crime.
In 2023, the value of assets under proceeds of crime cases commenced by CAB ranged in value from €10,915 to €1,456,887. Proceeds of crime actions, together with actions carried out under Revenue and Social Protection provisions, yielded in excess of €8.6 million to the Irish Exchequer in 2023.
Using the ill-gotten gains collected by CAB, the Department of Justice established the Community Safety Fund. This fund has been developed to reinvest the value of proceeds of crime, seized by CAB, directly back into local communities, which are negatively affected by crime.
€3.75 million in funding is available for local initiatives under this year’s Community Safety fund with applications closed since late July. Officials within the Department of Justice are currently processing current applications and the recipients will be announced in the coming weeks.
It is intended to support the expansion of CAB by 45% over the next 2 years, as part of the plan to tackle organised crime. The CAB Strategic Plan 2024-2027 will expand CAB’s intelligence gathering and enforcement activities.
In addition, new legislation is being brought forward in the coming weeks to strengthen CAB, with the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2023, seen as improving CAB’s ability to carry out its work.
Measures include:
The reduction from seven years to two years in the time between an order being made that assets are the proceeds of crime and a final disposal order being available in respect of those assets.
Provision for immediate and automatic appointment of a receiver to deprive respondents of the benefit of the assets.
The limitation of respondent’s ability to reopen the question of whether assets are proceeds of crime at the point of a disposal order being sought.
Enhanced restraint and asset detention powers prior to the High Court process.
Improved domestic and international information exchange powers.
Eradicating organised crime is central to building safer, stronger communities and expanding CAB is seen as key to this goal.
Progress, economic prosperity, and health all threatened unless Ireland increases the scale, pace, and ambition of environmental action.
Dul chun cinn, rathúnas geilleagrach agus sláinte i mbaol mura méadaíonn Éire scála, luas agus uail.(Irish Language Translation: Progress, economic prosperity and health are at risk if Ireland does not increase scale, speed and ambition (pride).
Ireland has modernized and prospered since joining the EU over 50 years ago – future prosperity and health are threatened unless we better protect our environment.
We are continuously playing catch-up – a forward step in one area is often matched by one or two steps back in another.
Actions on many fronts are having positive impacts but are entirely inadequate to deliver a healthy environment.
For too long we have merely aimed to ‘get by’, aspiring to only minimum standards – in many instances, we don’t even reach those.
Serious action cannot be postponed – we need a rapid and resolute advance in environmental performance driven by a national policy position on the environment.
For too long, the Report says, we have merely aimed to ‘get by’ aspiring to only minimum standards, and then in many instances not even meeting those. The report shows that actions on multiple fronts to address issues are not keeping pace with growing pressures and our environment continues to degrade. What is now needed, the report continues, is a strategic leap, a shared vision for how we will adapt our lives and work to protect our own existence within the next decade, and a national policy statement on the environment that articulates and drives this transition.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Ms Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA said: “We have made immense progress as a nation. Our membership of the EU helped us achieve that. We now look back to a time when we had serious industrial pollution of our rivers, when we relied on over a hundred municipal dumps, when we burned smoky fuel in our cities – and we can never go back to that”.
“But where we are right now,” Ms Burke added, “while it is better, is nowhere near good enough. We are always playing catch-up. We now have virtually no seriously polluted rivers, but we have hardly any pristine ones left, either. We now recycle more, but produce more waste than ever and export much of it. We are taking positive actions across multiple fronts, but they are not keeping pace with the growing pressures, and our environment is being squeezed. Increments now are not best use of scarce time and resources: We need to make a fundamental shift.”
That fundamental shift, according to the report, would start with a national policy position on the environment, that allows for long-term planning and would ensure that the environment is prioritised consistently across decades.
The report identifies five key essential areas we must prioritise to deliver the impact we need:
We urgently need a national policy position on the environment.
We must rigorously implement existing environmental plans and programmes to achieve the benefits that they were developed to deliver.
We need to transform our energy, transport, food and industrial sectors.
We need to scale up investment in water, energy, transport and waste management infrastructure.
We need to understand the absolute link between protecting our environment and protecting our health – harm one and we harm the other.
“We know what we have to do” Ms Burke added. “Our energy, transport, food and industrial sectors are the core of where this transformation can, must, and will happen. We must harness all of our resources to meet this challenge. Not acting now only postpones inevitable change that will be much more difficult, and more costly, later on.”
Dr Micheál Lehane, EPA Director said: “It is clear that our environmental challenges are interconnected and they are complex. We need to drive action across climate, biodiversity, sustainable consumption and pollution goals. This will not be easy and we cannot underestimate the challenges of moving to a path of a less wasteful, regenerative society. The IPCC has highlighted that there is now a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. It is not negotiable. We need our air, water and natural environment to continue to prosper. You either change for the environment now or the environment will irrevocably change us and how we live later. We, in Ireland, must do our part in making this sustainable future a reality.”
Ms Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA concluded: “We can no longer take the environment for granted. By taking determined actions, we will ensure we are not going to go back, or playing catch-up. This time, we need to be ahead. A healthier environment is attainable for all and is within our reach.”
Funding secured to support safer communities and modernised immigration system.
€2.5 billion for An Garda Síochána – over half a billion euro increase on 2020.
DSGBV funding trebled.
€3.2m to support Youth Justice Strategy including two new Youth Diversion Programmes.
A record €3.61 billion for current expenditure and €310 million for capital investment was allocated in the budget yesterday, for the Justice sector, which will be targeted to enhance public safety, improve crime prevention, ensure safe prisons, and drive end-to-end modernisation across Ireland’s immigration systems.
The major investment of almost €4 billion across the Justice Sector, will equip front-line Gardaí with the necessary tools and resources to strengthen crime prevention and detection; support the rollout of 36 Community Safety Partnerships nationwide; and strengthen efforts under the Zero Tolerance Strategy to combat domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV). In addition, significant funding is allocated for targeted road safety initiatives and to recruit additional prison staff and alleviate the acute pressures of overcrowding within our prisons.
A key focus in this Budget is on the reforming of family law. Over €11m has been allocated to increase staff and improve our Courts Service. An additional €3m will enable the use of expert reports as outlined in the Family Justice Strategy to ensure the voice of each child impacted by family break ups can be heard and to safeguard their needs within the justice system. Through the enactment of the Family Courts Bill, the Minister will move to establish the Family District Court, the Family Circuit Court and the Family High Court, in order to transform our family justice system and make it more user friendly for families.
Budget Highlights
An Garda Síochána.
Garda funding has increased by over €500m (up 27% since 2020), bringing the total budget to €2.48 billion.
This will provide funding to recruit between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí, along with 150 Garda staff and move towards 1,000 Garda reserves.
Garda overtime has been boosted by 13%, rising to €150 million, to enhance high-visibility policing efforts and serious crime investigation.
The Garda trainee allowance will have almost doubled to €354 per week, effective from 1st October 2024 (up from €184 in 2023).
€1.5 million has been allocated for Garda workforce wellbeing measures, including medical expenses.
€5m to be provided for Public Order Units including two new water cannons, crowd control barriers, expansion of the dog unit and more body armour for frontline Gardaí.
€9 million in additional funding to enhance road safety.
Capital Investments.
€100m of funding for ICT to equip Gardaí with the necessary tools to enhance crime prevention and detection, including Body-Worn cameras and the development of a digital evidence management system which will facilitate the nationwide roll-out of body worn cameras and the introduction of facial recognition technology.
€62m investment in the Garda estate across the country with major projects progressed in 2025 including Portlaoise, Macroom, Clonmel and Newcastlewest.
Fleet upgrades, including new public order vehicles and investment in a range of specialist vehicles to support modern policing.
The delivery of a new helicopter in Q1 2025 for the important work of the Garda Air Support Unit.
Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) & Community Safety.
DSGBV funding is increasing to €70m. This is more than treble the funding for DSGBV services when Minister McEntee first became Minister for Justice, and a further significant increase for 2025.
Increased funding for Cuan to €67m including additional resources to support the implementation of the Zero Tolerance strategy, with funding for 80 additional refuge spaces.
€800k for Cuan will provide for research and data analytics to develop an impact-led approach for evidence and knowledge development to achieve effective DSGBV prevention, protection, prosecution, and policy co-ordination.
A further targeted open call will be launched in 2025 to allow services to come forward with proposals.
€9.5 million allocated for nationwide Community Safety Partnerships and the establishment of a National Office for Community Safety and the Community Safety Innovation Fund.
An expanded Youth Justice Strategy with an increase of total funding by €3.2m and 10.8% bringing the total to €33 million.
Prisons and Probation.
Record funding of €525m has been secured to increase prison capacity and tackle overcrowding. This is an increase of €79m or 18%.
Recruitment of 150 Prison Officers in addition to the 240 Prison Officers recruited in 2024.
An additional €6.2 million to fund 130,000 additional staff hours in our Prisons.
€53m in Capital Funding which will provide for the completion of 155 new prison spaces by the end of 2024 as part of a programme of works.
The Probation Service will receive an additional €4 million bringing the total budget to over €60m to expand crime diversion programmes, support step down facilities, restorative justice, and community-based alternatives to imprisonment.
Immigration Modernisation.
€25m package for end-to-end investment in the immigration system including Service Delivery, International Protection Office, International Protection Appeals Tribunal and the Legal Aid Board. €2m is provided for ICT capital expenditure.
Significant additional resources will be directed to streamline the international protection process, with approximately 400 further staff to be recruited. This will provide for over 25,000 IPO decisions compared to over 14,000 cases in 2024.
Included in the package is €5m in increased investment in digital systems to modernise immigration systems, reduce processing times, increase removals (including with a new charter plane service), and strengthen border security.
Readiness work for the introduction of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact requirements in 2026.
Courts.
€11.1m to Courts Service which will include 50 additional staff to support the expanding Judiciary bringing its budget to over €195m.
This funding will help reduce backlogs and ensure quicker administration of justice.
It includes €2m to support modernisation measures including outsourced jury minding to free up thousands of Garda hours for frontline policing services.
Separately, an additional funding of €3m is to provide a pilot project to support the voice of children in family justice proceedings, including the recruitment of 8 staff as well as other services to assist in these proceedings.
The budget for criminal legal aid will increase in 2025 by over €9m which will include an 8% increase in fees from 1 January 2025. This is in addition to the 10% increase in fees secured in Budget 2024.
Funding the Transformation resulting from the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.
A total funding package of €28m provided for new bodies including Fiosrú (replacing GSOC), the Policing and Community Safety Authority, and the Office of the Independent Examiner.
Together with 36 Community Safety Partnerships nationwide and the National Office of Community Safety will strengthen effective cross-agency working in partnership with local communities on public safety.
Maximum jail sentences for those using knifes and other identified offensive weapons increased.
It was announced today (Monday) that a Commencement Order has been signed under the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 which will increase the maximum sentences for knife related offences, with effect from September 30th, 2024.
The Commencement Order gives effect to Part 9 of the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024, which amends the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 to increase the maximum penalties for the following offences under that Act:
Section 9(5) offence of possession in a public place of an article intended to cause injury to, incapacitate or intimidate a person: increased from 5 years to 7 years.
Section 10 offence of trespass with a knife, weapon of offence or other article which has a blade or sharp point: increased from 5 years to 7 years.
Section 11 offence of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury: increased from 5 years to 7 years.
Section 12 offence of manufacture, importation, sale, hire or loan of prescribed offensive weapons: increased from 7 years to 10 years.
These changes in the law follow recommendations from the knife crime sub-group of the Expert Forum on Anti-Social Behaviour, established in 2020, with first chaired meeting only taking place on September 29th 2021. Four sub-groups have now been established by the Forum to consider the specific issues of the misuse of scramblers and quadbikes, knife crime, responses to Anti-social behaviour (ASB) impacts on housing complexes managed by Local Authorities (LA) or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), and the powers available to An Garda Síochána in relation to public order offences. Members of the Forum are drawn from a number of State agencies, including An Garda Síochána, the Probation Service and key Government Departments, as well as a broad representation of community, business, academic and other experts.
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