Consultation Canals and Shannon Navigation Bye Laws – Phase 2 – Due Feb 26 2024

Introducing new bye-laws and charges for commercial and private boaters, who cannot traverse waters clogged with weed from May to September, is somewhat unjust.

Right now, as individuals who live, play and work on the waterways, and members of organisations and communities alongside the waterways in counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath, we can influence government on the future of boating, waterways tourism and recreational activities along the Eastern Waterways. 

These Bye Laws cannot be considered without discussing solutions to the underlying problems with the water in the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal, and the Barrow River Navigation, due to lack of funding from the Irish Government for on-going maintenance.

The direct causes of the deterioration of our Eastern Canals and the Barrow Navigation are lack of resources for regular maintenance and no solution to the spread of aquatic invasive weeds in still water.

The first issue can be solved by an increase in Basic Maintenance Funding from the Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) to Waterways Ireland in their yearly budget.  The second problem is more complex because the current method of cutting the species of aquatic invasive weeds in our canal waters, causes them to proliferate.  More resources and more sophisticated equipment to remove these plants by their roots may be the solution.

Maintaining navigable waters in our canals so they are fit for boating by private and commercial entities, should be a top priority.  It will take more resources, innovative solutions, and therefore more money.  

As documented in the Nav-Watch 2020 report, basic funding was severely reduced in 2012; the 2011 levels need to be reinstated in real terms, at a minimum.  

The plants identified in our canals, not only clog the navigation for boating and damage boats, they have a huge impact on biodiversity by:

  • preventing all species of native plants and wildlife from thriving in our canals
  • causing an imbalance in the eco systems
  • increasing the risk of flooding
  • damaging infrastructure including canal banks

IWAI Surveys

The IWAI Bye Law Surveys can be viewed here

Background

Waterway Ireland is a cross border body reporting directly to the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and financed by Governments in both jurisdictions.   

The Republic of Ireland (ROI) is currently represented on the NMSC by the Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and Northern Ireland (NI) is represented by the Department for Infrastructure (DFI).  Basic Maintenance Funding is given to WI by both Governments as an 85/15% split.

Capital Projects like the Ulster Canal, Greenways, Blueways, Harbour and Infrastructure improvements are financed through other Funds.  For example, from the EU through INTERREG, the Shared Island Fund and the Ulster Canal Consortium, from the EU through the Dept of Transport, Bord Failte, the Dept of Rural and Community Development and from all of these through the County Councils. WI role on these  projects is mainly providing management advice and expertise.  WI are reimbursed where any of their full-time staff are involved. In other words, people working on these projects are not paid out of Funding assigned to Waterways Ireland for on-going maintenance.   

Investment in these Capital Projects, is very welcome, as they make these historical waterways and their infrastructure accessible to a wider audience for leisure, tourism, and well-being.  These Projects receive lots of publicity, with Ministers and Councillors in photo shoots,  but without investment in on-going maintenance, these waterways are inaccessible to Anglers, Boaters, Canoeists, Kayakers and Paddleboarders.

In the past Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) was responsible for the removal of invasive plants, this appears to have changed during austerity times, with no clear understanding of who is now responsible for their removal. As the waters continue to heat up and the warm season extends, this problem is getting worse. 
IFI Press Release April 2023 Darragh O’Brien TD Malcolm Noonan TD NSMC