"We identified four harbours that have lots of vessels that don't move. In the harbours we surveyed, we found that 90pc of these vessels don't move, there are a handful of liveaboards, which for some people, is a better option than being homeless."
"There is a level of expense to lift them and take care of them. The cost to take a boat out of the water is €1,000, and Waterways Ireland have to keep them in storage for 42 days before they can dispose of them."
"These are boats that to keep them in a commercial marina would cost between €1,500 to €3,000 per year. These people who own these vessels have sadly either died, developed dementia, some have gone to prison, so the boats end up in these corners of various waterways and end up blocking access for all."
"It's a disgrace that some people would take that casual approach to their boats, leaving them in one spot all year."
Waterways Ireland is actively managing Lough Derg and other waterways by removing abandoned boats. They identified four harbors with many non-moving vessels, with 90% of them inactive. The organization is empathetic towards liveaboards, recognizing their challenging situations. The cost to remove a boat is €1,000, and they must store them for 42 days before disposal. Many boats remain in storage for years, blocking access to waterways. Councillor John Carroll criticized the abandonment of boats as disgraceful.
Read at Irish Independent
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