Mr. Charles Lawn:

Winter moorings are currently available on the River Shannon. That allows vessel owners leave their vessels, for a fee, in the public harbours from 1 November until 31 March each year. That is what is being proposed by the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, IWAI, and perhaps the Heritage Boat Association also. Vessel owners pay the fee at the start of November and they can leave their vessels in the public harbour until 31 March. Thereafter, the five-day rule kicks in.

The enforcement of the by-laws falls to my responsibility. We are very much aware that people are engaged in their pastime, therefore, enforcement is done with a small "e". We are not out rattling the cage every day of the week and getting people to move on. If they have a genuine reason for wanting to stay beyond the five days, we accommodate them. That can be where somebody has a death in the family, a Communion or other family event. In that case we endeavour to accommodate them, and we always will. As the chief executive said earlier, it is only when vessels become persistent harbour huggers on authorised moors that we move them, and that can be at the end of a two-month boating season. That would be the extent of it. The idea that anybody is removed from the navigation after five days would be incorrect.