The country's surface and ground waters remain under pressure from human activities.
The Environmental Protection Agency is warning Ireland's in danger of losing its excellent coastal water quality, unless urgent action is taken to reduce nitrogen from farms entering water.
Of the over 1,800 river bodies inspected, 43 per cent were unsatisfactory and 230 had worsened over the past 4 years.
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Mary Gurrie, the EPA's programme manager says improvements are needed:
