A burst pipe left leaking raw sewage onto a popular north Dublin beach for the last number of weeks has "horrified" local residents and swimmers.
A build-up of human waste and toilet paper is clearly visible on part of the Burrow Beach in Sutton.
Fingal County Council has said it is not responsible for the pipe, part of which runs along the surface of the sand, despite concerns around the raw sewage.
However, Uisce Éireann, which has responsibility for the cleaning and maintenance of the public sewer network, said it is investigating and attempting to find a solution.
In a statement to RTÉ news, a spokesperson said Uisce Éireann "is aware of a leak from a third-party private sewer line".
"We are currently assessing the situation with a view to assisting the private owners in implementing a temporary solution further investigations are planned to explore options for a more sustainable, long-term solution."
Local resident Muirne Lydon said she first noticed the broken pipe three weeks ago, describing the situation as "disgusting".
She said she contacted Uisce Éireann but was told it was a private pipe and not its responsibility.
"How can it be a private matter, when it's on a public beach?" she said.
Another resident, Emma, said she was disgusted at the situation and queried why the raw sewage was not being sent to a treatment plant.
"My children play on the beach, and we all like to swim in the sea. It's not safe in the current situation."
Uisce Éireann is reassuring concerned beach users that the waste does not flow into the sea.
The spokesperson said the orange piping flows into a concrete manhole, which was installed decades ago, and has become exposed to erosion on the beach over the years.
The waste then flows into a small pump station on the Burrow Road and then onto the Sutton pipe station, which is the second biggest in the greater Dublin area.
It is then sent to the wastewater treatment plant in Ringsend.
Patrick Jackson, a local environmentalist and founder of the school's Picker Pals programme, said the human waste on the beach is "shameful".
"I've campaigned unsuccessfully for over a decade for a cessation to the Irish Water raw sewage outfall on the other side of the Howth Peninsula," he said.
"The Doldrum Bay outfall continues to pour untreated wastewater into the Howth Special Amenity Area and UNESCO Biosphere".
Mr Jackson regularly brings children from Burrow National School litter picking on the beach.
"It is so infuriating to see another generation having to live with this disgusting situation," he said.
