Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Houseboat owners along the canals throughout Ireland are concerned that their permit fees will shoot up as Waterways Ireland drafts updated by-laws for these communities. The proposed steep hike in annual fees being considered would lead to people paying 12 times the amount they are paying at the moment. County Kildare is the nerve centre of concern, with a large number of houseboat residents residing at Sallins, Lowtown, Hazelhatch, Confey, Maynooth and Kilcock. Any proposed changes must be rooted in an appreciation of the stability of family life, the intrinsic tourism benefits and the ongoing economic contribution made by these communities.

The passenger barge skipper at Sallins, Mr. Ger Loughlin, accommodates approximately 5,000 visiting passengers per year who are only delighted to visit the beautiful canal areas of Kildare and see the unique collection of boats. I know first hand a number of these people who are deeply concerned about their choice of living. Some of them I proudly know from my college days. Indeed, the Cathaoirleach is also a past pupil of Maynooth University. I refer to good, talented people like Mr. Alan Holland, Mr. Gerry Gleeson and his family and Rolandis and his partner Laura. Mr. Ronan Herron, a native of Donegal, and his wife Lorna, have described, in today's newspapers, the concerns of houseboat owners as "palpable".

Apart from the proposed registration fee hikes, there is a concern that the existing closely-knit communities will be given guarantees of tenure if a new issuing permit system is introduced. Housing expert Rory Hearne said that for or some people, houseboats are a lifestyle choice but for others, they are cheaper form of housing. He argues that significantly increasing what houseboat owners have to pay in a short space of time seems ludicrous at a time when emergency accommodation is full.

I am calling on Waterways Ireland not to rush this but to tread carefully and sensitively, to work with the people affected on the front line and recognise their needs. Houseboat owners recognise that the by-laws are 35 years old and need updating, but at the heart of any revision and review of those by-laws must be real people, real living and real concerns.