Sinn Féin TD and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Brian Stanley TD, has said that the decision by Waterways Ireland to install fencing on the banks of the Grand Canal to prevent the erection of tents has proved to be ineffective, expensive and unsightly.

Deputy Stanley was commenting after receiving updated information from Waterways Ireland at today’s PAC meeting that the cost of erecting the fences has spiralled to €303,096.

Teachta Stanley said:

“The estimate of costs associated with the fencing and cleaning the areas where tent encampments had appeared, given at the Waterways Ireland’s appearance at PAC in July, was €125,000 but we have received a correction that it was actually €145,000.

“The latest information that we have received for today’s meeting is that the actual cost is now up to €303,096.

“But the encampments are still there, nestled between the fences, which may give the unfortunate people who are sleeping there some sense of security.

“The government may have thought they needed to do something to show the public they were trying to tackle the problem ahead of the local elections, but it makes no sense to continue this practice, which is expensive and ineffective.

“They surely cannot continue to extend the fencing further down the canal. How many more kilometres of fencing will be erected?

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, and to continue to pay for more fencing would be insanity.

“The Grand Canal is a wonderful public amenity that should be enjoyed by visitors, tourists and locals alike, and this fencing detracts from that.”