Council apologises for smell

Dublin City Council has apologised to residents of Ringsend about "occasional" smells from its new €300 million waste water system.

The council insists, however, that 25 per cent of the city's sewage sludge is not entering the bay twice a week, as has been claimed. It remains "very hopeful" of achieving blue flag status for beaches in Dublin Bay as a result of the plant.

The council's comments come after the Green Party TD, Mr John Gormley, complained to the EU because of ongoing problems with smells.

Mr Gormley told the EU that the plant, "billed as Europe's most modern", had produced a bad smell locally, and poorer than expected water quality.

He said: "I write to you, not only as a politician that represents this area, but also as a local resident who has had to suffer the consequences of the plant's mismanagement. Last summer, local residents found, very often, that they could not go outside to enjoy the sunshine and had to keep their windows closed, such was the severity of the smell. "

A council spokeswoman said anti-odour measures had been put in place and water quality in the bay was "better than it has been for 300 years".