Water quality in private water supplies (small private supplies and private group schemes) is not as good as public water supplies.
Small private supplies provide drinking water to, for example, schools, nursing homes and hotels. Private group schemes cover 376 community run supplies.
1,600 small private drinking water supplies are registered, but the total number remains unknown as there is no legal requirement to register.
Unregistered supplies are not sampled by local authorities and may unknowingly be providing unsafe drinking water to consumers.
Failures due to E. coli in private group schemes reduced to 14 in 2025, down from 24 in 2024.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released its Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies 2025 report. The report highlights that drinking water quality in private supplies continues to fall short of the standards achieved by public supplies delivered by Uisce Éireann.
There are approximately 370 private group schemes supplying drinking water to more than 194,000 people in rural communities across Ireland. In addition, over 1,600 small private supplies are registered with local authorities, providing drinking water from their own wells to commercial and public activities, such as schools, crèches, nursing homes, hotels, camping sites and sports clubs.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) in 2023, identified the need to strengthen the governance, oversight and management of private water supplies. Progress on implementing measures to address this deficit has been slow. The DHLGH must implement these reforms as a priority.
A key first step is to make registration a legal obligation for small private supplies. Currently approximately 1,600 small private supplies are registered, but it is estimated that there are many more not registered.
Launching the report, Mr Pat Byrne, Director, EPA Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring said: “It is unacceptable that people visiting a local business or using local amenities could unknowingly consume water from a well that is not registered or sampled, putting themselves and their family’s health at risk. Suppliers should act immediately and register their supplies, so they are monitored by local authorities, giving suppliers and consumers confidence in the quality of their drinking water.”
Small Private Supplies – Water Quality Compliance. The presence of E. coli bacteria in drinking water means it is contaminated and that it poses a risk to people’s health. Small private supplies continue to have poorer E. coli compliance than public water supplies provided by Uisce Éireann, with 67 supplies failing the standard in 2025. This is a compliance rate of 95%.
Private Group Schemes – Water Quality Compliance. Fourteen private group schemes, supplying 1,854 people, had E. coli failures in 2025 – down from 24 in 2024. Six of these, however, had repeat failures of E. coli in both 2024 and 2025 due to a combination of operational and infrastructural issues creating risks for consumers. In 2025, seventeen private group schemes, serving 19,362 people, failed the Trihalomethane (THM) standard. This represents only a minor improvement on 2024, when 19 schemes failed to meet the standard.
Mr Noel Byrne, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring said: “While there has been some improvement in E. coli compliance in group schemes, the continued failures in several private group schemes shows that more action is needed. Local authorities must work closely with suppliers to identify the causes of failures and ensure corrective actions are put in place. Where suppliers do not act, or where failures persist, local authorities must escalate enforcement action, so consumers are protected.”
The EPA report on Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies – 2025 is available on the EPA Website HERE.
Recall of specific batches of Peklimar Metla Lososiowa and Peklimar Metla Brunszwicka sausages due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
Alert Summary dated Tuesday, 28th July 2026.
Category 2: For Information. Alert Notification: 2026.46. Product Identification: Please see table below. Batch Code: Please see table below for batch code and use-by dates. Country Of Origin: Poland.
Message: The below batches of Peklimar Metla Lososiowa and Peklimar Metla Brunszwicka sausages are being recalled due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.
Implicated products and batches:
Product name:
Approximate pack size (g):
Batch code:
Use-by date:
Peklimar Metka Lososiowa kiełbasa surowa metka
1500.
1R808070707.
01/08/2026.
Peklimar Metka Brunszwicka kiełbasa surowa metka.
1500.
1R808070707.
27/07/2026.
Nature Of Danger: In healthy people, symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. However, in people who are more vulnerable, the infection can be severe and can lead to serious complications. People who are more vulnerable to Listeria monocytogenes infections include pregnant women, infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is, on average, 3 weeks but can range between 3 and 70 days.
Retailers: Same are requested to remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Wholesalers / Distributors: Same are requested to contact their affected customers and recall the implicated batches and provide a point-of-sale recall notice to their retailer customers. Consumers: Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated batches.
The Local Authority Waters Programme, commonly known as LAWPRO, has now officially become the River Basin Management Service, marking a new chapter in the organisation’s work to protect and restore water quality across Ireland.
The service works on behalf of Ireland’s 31 local authorities and is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It supports the protection of rivers, lakes, estuaries, groundwater and coastal waters through scientific catchment assessments, community engagement and coordinated local-authority action. Although the organisation has adopted a new name and visual identity, its mission, structure and responsibilities remain unchanged. The new title is intended to provide a clearer description of its role in supporting Ireland’s national water-quality objectives and the implementation of river basin management plans.
Established in 2016, the organisation has worked with local authorities, government agencies, farmers, landowners, volunteers, environmental organisations and community groups to identify pressures affecting water quality and develop suitable local responses.
Unsatisfactory state of the River Suir, in Thurles town centre, yesterday. Pic; G. Willoughby.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Mr James Browne, TD, welcomed the announcement. He said the new name reflects the organisation’s important role in coordinating and supporting the protection and restoration of water bodies as Ireland prepares its next Water Action Plan. The River Basin Management Service will continue carrying out catchment-science assessments, helping local authorities implement national water policy and providing financial assistance to community organisations working to improve their local waters.
Community participation has been central to the organisation’s activities. Since its establishment, approximately €7.5 million has been awarded to 1,208 projects through the Community Water Development Fund and Catchment Support Fund. Further support has been provided through the Small Grants and Events Scheme and annual Heritage Week funding. These programmes enable communities to organise water-awareness events, citizen-science initiatives, biodiversity projects, environmental surveys and other activities that benefit local rivers, lakes and coastal areas. The organisation’s work is particularly relevant to communities along the River Suir, including Thurles, where residents have raised concerns about declining water quality, excessive aquatic vegetation and changes affecting fish and other wildlife.
At a public meeting in County Tipperary in November 2025, attendees highlighted concerns about the River Suir from Thurles upstream. Issues discussed included nutrient pollution, excessive weed growth and reductions in fish and aquatic life. The meeting also heard that scientific assessments were being conducted across the wider Suir catchment to identify the main pressures affecting its waters.
Despite all the talking, no serious effort by Tipperary Co. Council to halt effluent flowing from drainage pipes, easily visible from Thurles Town centre.
Such assessments demonstrate the importance of combining scientific evidence with local knowledge. Information from residents, anglers, farmers and community groups can help specialists understand changes within a river and determine which measures are most likely to improve its ecological condition.
Mr Anthony Coleman, Director of Services at the River Basin Management Service, confirmed that the organisation will continue operating as the same local-authority shared service. Its work will remain focused on catchment science, community engagement, partnership development, funding support and collaborative action. The service will maintain a science-led approach to identifying environmental pressures and targeting solutions. Its specialists examine water bodies and surrounding landscapes to establish which activities may be affecting water quality and where intervention is most urgently needed.
It will also continue developing its Nature-based Solutions programme and the Blue Dot Catchments Programme, which supports the protection of Ireland’s highest-quality waters. In addition, it will coordinate the Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership and expand training programmes for local-authority staff.
By adopting the Local Government Ireland identity, the River Basin Management Service is strengthening its connection with the local-government sector and aligning itself with other shared services. While its name has changed, its central commitment remains the same; bringing together science, local authorities and communities to protect Ireland’s waters and create healthier catchments for future generations.
McDonald’s has confirmed that its new drive-thru restaurant in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, is scheduled to open on Wednesday, August 19th, 2026.
The opening will come almost one year after An Coimisiún Pleanála issued its final approval for the controversial development, bringing a lengthy planning process and months of local debate to an end. The new restaurant is being constructed on a former industrial site at the junction of Slievenamon Road and the now once again delayed “Thurles Relief Road“, close to the Lidl supermarket and approximately 700 metres from Thurles town centre.
Plans provide for a single-storey restaurant measuring almost 479 square metres, together with a drive-thru lane, customer-ordering points, digital menu boards, car parking, accessible spaces, electric-vehicle charging bays and bicycle parking. The development will also include outdoor seating, landscaping, lighting, signage, an electricity substation and changes to the existing vehicle entrance from the relief road.
Recruitment Begins Ahead of August Launch. McDonald’s has begun recruiting full-time and part-time staff members for the new Thurles restaurant. The recruitment advertisement confirms the August 19th opening date and states that successful applicants will receive paid training at other nearby McDonald’s restaurants during the weeks leading up to the launch. Advertised hourly pay for some adult employees is up to €14.25, depending on age and the terms of the new positions. The recruitment drive is expected to create a significant number of new low paid hospitality jobs in the Thurles area, although the company has not publicly confirmed the restaurant’s total anticipated workforce.
Plans Attracted More Than 20 Objections. McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland submitted its planning application for the Thurles development in September 2024. The proposal proved controversial from the beginning, attracting more than 20 objections from residents and other interested parties. Concerns raised during the initial planning process included the location of the outlet, traffic levels, road safety, litter, noise, opening hours and the proximity of the proposed restaurant to residential properties and childcare facilities. Some objectors also raised public-health concerns relating to fast food and childhood obesity. The development was originally intended to operate around the clock. However, permission ultimately restricted its opening hours to between 6am and 10pm, meaning the Thurles restaurant will not be permitted to trade on a 24-hour basis.
Tipperary County Council initially sought additional information from the applicant, including further details concerning traffic and the proposed operation of the development. Documents submitted during that stage included an analysis indicating that the site would have space for a queue of approximately 32 vehicles, before waiting traffic would potentially reach the adjoining public road.
Council Permission Was Appealed Tipperary County Council granted permission for the restaurant, subject to conditions, on April 9th, 2025. That decision was subsequently appealed to the national planning authority by a third party, while a number of additional observations were submitted for consideration. An Coimisiún Pleanála examined issues including traffic and pedestrian safety, flood risk, residential amenity, visual impact, town-centre development and the site’s proximity to the River Suir and the Lower River Suir Special Area of Conservation. The Commission issued its decision on August 26th, 2025, upholding the council’s decision and granting permission with revised conditions. In its formal order, the planning body determined that the development would not seriously damage the amenities of nearby properties or create unacceptable risks in relation to public health, flooding, traffic, pedestrian safety or visual amenity. It also considered the mixed-use zoning of the former industrial land, Thurles’s status as a key regional town and the planning policies applying to the area.
Construction Work Underway Site-clearance activity began in early 2026, allowing construction of the restaurant and associated infrastructure to proceed. Information published locally indicated that the principal works were expected to take place between February and July, leaving several weeks for completion, staff training and final preparations before the planned August opening. The development represents the latest chapter in efforts to bring a McDonald’s outlet to the former Erin Foods lands. A previous application connected to a proposed drive-thru restaurant at the wider site was submitted as far back as 2020 but was deemed incomplete shortly afterwards.
While the current project has continued to divide opinion locally, the August opening will introduce one of the world’s largest fast-food brands to Thurles and hopefully provide new employment opportunities for the town For supporters, the development represents investment, additional consumer choice and the productive reuse of former industrial land. For critics, concerns about traffic, litter, public health, late-evening activity and the effect of drive-thru development on the character of the area remain.
Barring any construction or operational delays, the first customers are expected to be welcomed through the doors of the new Thurles McDonald’s on August 19th.
Undeclared milk in a mispacked batch of Doritos Chilli Heatwave Flavour Corn Chips.
Alert Summary dated Friday, July 17th 2026.
Allergy Alert Notification: 2026.A22 Allergen: Milk Product Identification: Doritos Chilli Heatwave Flavour Corn Chips; pack size: 140g Batch Code: GBC 209 184C; best-before date: 05/12/2026 Country Of Origin: United Kingdom
Message: Part of the above batch of Doritos Chilli Heatwave Flavour Corn Chips was mispacked with Doritos Tangy Cheese Flavour Corn Chips. The product contains milk, but the packaging only contains a precautionary “may contain milk” statement. This may make the batch unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of milk and therefore, these consumers should not eat the implicated batch.
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