Outrage as raw sewage continues to be pumped into the River Suir at Thurles

"If this was an individual household or a company, we would have them prosecuted," Cllr Jim Ryan tells the local authority

Tipperary Independent County Councillor Jim Ryan has vented his frustration at the lack of action on a scenario where raw sewage is being allowed to enter the River Suir in Thurles during times of heavy rain and floods.

Cllr Ryan witnessed a very narrow escape at the junction recently and was quite forceful in his comments, stating that the matter had been left on the backburner for far too long.

Councillor Ryan, pictured above, told members of Tipperary County Council this week that there are three outlets feeding directly into the River Suir at the rear of Thurles Shopping Centre between surface water overflows and waste water overflows. In times of heavy rain and floods the combined sewer results in raw sewage being pumped directly into the river.

“I have been raising this matter now for years and I have let it go for some time in the hope that something might be done about it. But nothing has been done and in this day and age it's simply not good enough. It is humiliating, it is hypocritical and it is is just wrong that we are openly flouting and breaking the law in this manner. If this was an individual household or a company, we would have them prosecuted, but here we are totally ignoring this,” an angry Councillor Ryan said.

He added: “This just cannot be allowed to continue and I am calling on the Environmental Protection Agency and the County Council to take action. The excuses which are being put forward for years are not good enough and we just cannot afford to keep kicking this down the road. As I said, if a private company was doing this we would be down on top of them like a tonne of bricks,” Cllr Ryan said.

The Thurles councillor was told that his comments had been taken on board and will be forwarded to Irish Water as this entity has responsibility for such matters.