Round-the-clock patrols to “deter tented encampments” on a stretch of the Grand Canal in Dublin city are set to cost the taxpayer up to €170,000 over the next two years.
Waterways Ireland has put out to tender a contract for a two-person team to provide “enhanced patrolling” of a 3km stretch of the canal south of the city centre on a 24/7 basis.
It comes after numerous multi-agency operations this year to clear tents pitched by asylum seekers in the area due to the ongoing shortage of accommodation available from the State.
As recently as last week, gardaí attended the site of an encampment in Crumlin after reports of tents being thrown into the Grand Canal.
The Government has faced criticism over its handling of the issue, with the Taoiseach forced to defend comments he made last week linking homelessness levels and migration.
In its request for tender, Waterways Ireland said it is currently experiencing “issues with anti-social behaviour and large tented encampments, which pose a health and safety and public health risk, specifically along the Circular Line of the Grand Canal from Lock C1 to Harold’s Cross Bridge”.
It said the emergence of tent encampments in the area is ongoing, and measures had been taken to remove such encampments.
“This course of action has been taken as our primary concern is that of health and safety risk to occupants of the tents, visitors to the stretch of the canal, and operational teams working in the area,” it said.
Waterways Ireland staff, in addition to their own duties, have been monitoring the situation daily and stepping in to coordinate and manage “tent removal operations”.
It said: “The resource requirements dedicated to managing this matter are not sustainable and we are finding it increasingly challenging given this is an ongoing and live situation daily.”
Waterways Ireland said a pilot of using external resources to patrol the stretch started earlier this month and an additional four weeks of manned patrolling is required.
However, the tender states the contract will be for a maximum two years with a maximum spend of €170,000.
