Mr. Jerry Gleeson:

The IRBOA thanks the Chair and members of the committee for giving us the opportunity to speak today. Waterways Ireland does not know how many liveaboard boats there are on the canals and the Barrow. It does not know how many people live on those boats and consequently does not know how many of those people are families with young children, single-parent families, senior citizens, disabled people or vulnerable people. When it says, "Waterways Ireland does not believe the proposed changes will lead to homelessness," IRBOA says, "You do not know what you are talking about". Yearly permit price increases of €1,000, €2,000 or €4,000, increasing to €7,500 depending on location, would be difficult for any household in the State to absorb. For many in our community, it is impossible. I am very proud to hear mentioned the idea that seems to have arisen organically in our communities, which can best be summed up as, "If my neighbour cannot afford a permit, how could I, in good conscience, buy one?" Waterways Ireland's proposed changes to the permitting system and the writing of navigation restrictions into by-laws will create dead zones in counties Kildare and Dublin on the Royal and Grand canals. Some 47% of boats currently located in Hazelhatch and Sallins are leisure boats, meaning owners will no longer be eligible to buy a permit for these areas. The same applies to 29% of boats at Grand Canal Dock, Castleknock and Confey. Where will they go?

Waterways Ireland's proposed changes will effectively close the canals to through navigation and ghettoise liveaboard communities. The contention that Waterways Ireland acknowledges the submissions in relation to the mooring restrictions between the 12th and 16th locks on the Royal and Grand canals but deems this necessary to manage the congestion of boats in the Greater Dublin area is nonsense. Simply put, there is no congestion. It should also be noted that Waterways Ireland has a monopoly on moorings on the canals and the Barrow. This, combined with its power to issue, or not, permits listed in the schedule of tolls and charges and to issue and charge money for permits not listed in the schedule - members should see the briefing notes on extended mooring permits and service charge in Grand Canal Dock - places the people they refer to as customers in a dysfunctional marketplace devoid of independent oversight.

The idea of Waterways Ireland rangers patrolling the canals and the Barrow is frightening. The inspector of navigation's response to the question from IWAI's Offaly branch about the training of authorised officers in Inland Waterways Newsfrom August 2023 was that, where necessary, inspectorate staff in Waterways Ireland have extensive experience in the enforcement of by-laws on Waterways Ireland's navigations. This shows a failure to recognise the great responsibility that comes with the powers Waterways Ireland wishes to have conferred on it, again without independent oversight. We respectfully ask the committee to recommend that the Minister for housing reject these proposed by-laws, which will lead to homelessness for traditional canal boat dwellers who cannot afford these unprecedented fee increases. They will break up established communities and criminalise law-abiding citizens for newly defined boating offences, bringing them before the courts with no independent appeals process in advance of legal proceedings.