Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will address the section on the canals, the opportunities that are available for the tourism sector, and the benefits that will accrue to those towns and villages situated on the canals, which, I honestly believe, are being under-utilised and the use of which I would encourage.

Provision is being made in the Bill to amend the Canals Act 1986 to allow for the making of by-laws for the regulation of boating on the canals. The amendments to the Canal Act 1986 are primarily enabling provisions to allow for the making of by-laws to regulate boating on the canals and to manage the use of the Royal Canal, the Grand Canal and the Barrow navigation. The existing provisions are very much out of date and the new provisions will allow for better management and better maintenance and control of the canals, which are a fantastic public resource and which, I reiterate, are under-utilised.

The proposed amendments will include provisions for the regulation of the canals, the issue of permits or licences to regulate the use of boats on the canals and on canal property, the regulation of the type or class of boat, including the dimensions, which may be used on the canals, and the regulation of berths and moorings and the placing of buoys on the canals or other canal property. There is nothing nicer to see than a boat navigating the canals. One sees them in other countries such as the United Kingdom, and the resulting benefits to the communities.

On appointment and powers of authorised officers, the Bill provides for powers of entry, the issue of search warrants and the service of directions.The legislation will also provide for a number of miscellaneous amendments, mostly of a technical nature, including to section 56 of the Maritime Safety Act 2005 and the consequent repeal of section 56. It will update the references to the titles of the various Ministers in the Act to reflect the current applying position. It will amend to "Waterways Ireland" those references to the Commissioners of Public Works relating to the functions transferred to Waterways Ireland by the British-Irish Agreement Acts 1999-2005. It will provide for the deletion of section 13 - this provision expired three years after the vesting day - and further details on proposed amendments are contained in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Heritage Bill 2016.

Waterways Ireland is responsible for the management, maintenance and development of over 1,000 km of inland navigable waterways, principally for recreational use. These waterways include the lower Bann, the Royal and Grand Canals, the Shannon-Erne Waterway, the River Barrow and the River Shannon and further information is available here.

I want to see our waterways opened up and the North-South link maintained. I want to see opportunities for employment for small villages and small businesses located on the canals.