Mullooly demands immediate action on Clew Bay sewage crisis

CITING EU and Irish government failures, Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly has called for urgent intervention in the ongoing sewage pollution crisis in Newport Bay.

Speaking at a European Parliament session on Wednesday night, he stressed that this issue, which has affected the town for decades, continues to violate key EU environmental directives, including the Water Framework Directive, with serious consequences for both the environment and public health.

Despite repeated promises from authorities, the upgrade of Newport’s wastewater treatment plant has been delayed until 2030, leaving the community at risk.

Reflecting on his recent visit to Newport, MEP Mullooly shared his meeting with local Independent Ireland Councillor Chris Maxwell.

“In the words of local activist Chris Maxwell, marine life is being destroyed in front of their eyes every day,” MEP Mullooly recounted.

Maxwell, a candidate in the general election, has been vocal about the environmental damage, particularly its impact on Clew Bay’s marine ecosystem and local livelihoods.

During his visit, MEP Mullooly also met with residents Elaine McCaffery and her neighbours, who expressed disbelief over the continued delays.

“I went there and met Elaine McCaffery and her neighbours and their children. They could not believe that the promised treatment plant has still not been built and that Irish Water and the Irish government have ignored the wanton pollution that is going on here,” he told the Parliament.

“This beautiful town looks out onto Clew Bay, where fishing for oysters and recreation has already been destroyed by millions of gallons of raw sewage pumped into the Atlantic Ocean by local municipal homes, not by farms.”

In his address MEP Mullooly stressed: “We need urgent action from the EU, the Irish government, and Irish Water. We need the Newport scheme to go ahead.”

He emphasised that while farmers are often blamed for environmental issues in rural Ireland, this crisis stems from municipal sewage mismanagement: “We need to stop blaming farmers for all the problems.”

Mullooly urged both Irish authorities and EU institutions to take responsibility for this crisis. He called on the European Commission to ensure Ireland complies with key environmental directives like the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and to provide funding to expedite construction of a wastewater treatment plant.

“The people of Newport have waited far too long for clean water infrastructure that meets basic environmental standards,” he said in closing. “We cannot afford further delays when both public health and biodiversity are at stake.”