There must be full accountability – and consequences – after it was revealed that diesel from an Irish Rail fuel facility has been leaking into the River Liffey for over a year, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.
Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s environment spokesperson, said:
“This week, the Journal reported that the pollution incident was first discovered in March 2025. Yet we are only hearing about it now – 14 months later.
“Worse still, attempts to fix the leaking pipe have been unsuccessful to date, further hampering the ongoing clean-up operation of the affected area downstream from Samuel Beckett Bridge.
“Efforts to contain the spill – by putting flimsy looking floating barriers in place – can be described, at best, as ineffective, and, at worst, farcical.
“While Dublin City Council claims the pollution has been confined to a specific area of the river, this is hard to take seriously when diesel can still be clearly seen in the water on both sides of the floating plastic barrier.
“It is also deeply concerning that we still don’t know how much fuel leaked into the Liffey before the incident was first discovered. Diesel is a pollutant that can have a devastating impact on marine life and has the potential to cause serious harm to the Dublin Bay Biosphere, which is protected under EU law.
“I have now written to the chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy, calling on all the relevant agencies – Irish Rail, Dublin Port and Dublin City Council – to appear before it and account for how such a serious pollution incident could happen; why it was kept out of the public eye for more than a year; and why the containment response appears to be so inadequate.
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must also provide a full assessment of the damage caused to marine life in the Liffey and outline what impact the pollution has had on the wider Dublin Bay area.
“There must be full accountability – and consequences – for the pollution of our capital city’s main waterway.”
May 28, 2026