Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses and everyone else for attending. Our canals and waterways are amenities of great importance. About once a year I go for a walk on the Royal Canal, which is not in my constituency. It is a highly varied route. I start in Phibsborough and head inland. It is striking that the nicest places to walk on the canal are where the boats are and where there is a lived community. I do not mean just visually but it is where one feels safest as a walker. There is a huge benefit to the wider community from the lived boat community. That needs to be recognised and supported in any proposed changes. One of my primary concerns with this is the potential impact it would have on people who are living on our waterways because the proposed rate increases are very steep. I welcome the that serious consideration will be given to the submission from the Grand Canal residents and that the charging structure will be revisited.

At the core of the submission from the residents of the Grand Canal is linking the fees to the services provided. That is what it is being argued for in option 3 and it is what others are saying about other locations. There should not be a blanket charge. As Senator Moynihan said, in apartment complexes and housing estates where people pay a management charge, they are given a breakdown of where the money goes and they can see how it is linked to the services provided. Is Waterways Ireland committed to doing that with these fees so that people can see exactly where the money is going, what services they are getting for the fee that are paying and and how it is linked?