STAGNATION at Limerick canal was, this week, described by Councillor Kieran O’Hanlon as a public scandal.
And if it becomes seriously polluted, he will demand that City Hall prosecute Waterways Ireland, which has responsibility for all of the country’s inland waterways.
Waterways Ireland came to Limerick, at his request, to answer questions surrounding ongoing stagnation.
“I wonder how did people get it so wrong – we must have an inquiry to get answers,” urges Environment committee member, Caherine Farrell.
Awarded €2million from an EU award scheme some years ago, the canal was earmarked for restoration as “the jewel in the crown” of Limerick’s waterways.
Sadly, despite an investment of millions, the unused canal is now without any shine at all.
Referring to a presentation given by Waterways Ireland in Athlone in August 2005, Cllr Jim Long said it had been stipulated that the canal would be used “to get boats back from Foynes up to Athlone”.
Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon said that if the engineers had got the levels for dredging right, this would have rectified the flow, and Cllr John Gilligan queried why permission had been given to a developer to build a bund in the canal to protect hew housing from flooding.
Mr Moore of Waterways Ireland, conceded that when dredging, the water level was a metre too high, which meant that new lock gates could not be opened, if installed”.
Insisting that an independent investigation is required, Cllr O’Hanlon said that people want to know what proposals are now in place to get the canal back in reasonable condition.
Emphasising that Waterways Ireland owns the Park Canal, Mr
Moore said: “We gave our advice but it wasn’t our project, ir is not part of our navigation since 1929”.
