#InlandWaters - The new Heritage Bill passed by the Dáil last week will not mandate inland waterways officers to present copies of relevant bye-laws to canal users, where in print or electronically.

Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív’s proposed amendment to the text was shot down as “unnecessary” by Heritage Minister Josepha Madigan in the debate stage.

“Other enforcement agencies and bodies, such as conservation rangers, gardaí and inland fisheries officers, operate in the same way,” she said. “It is good practice for users of the waterways to become familiar with the legislation governing the waterways and the marine notices in place. It would confuse the role of the authorised officer.”

The minister clarified that access to relevant bye-laws governing the use of inland waterways “is not an issue”.

“They will be available on devices, such as smartphones or tablets. I cannot accept a situation, however, where temporary unavailability, such as a dropped phone or a gap in internet signal, results in the authorised officer being unable to carry out his or her functions,” Minister Madigan said.

#InlandWaters - The Heritage Bill 2016, including a raft of changes to the Canals Act, was presented to the Oireachtas on 4 January last.

Pages 5 to 13 and 22 of the Heritage Bill will be of particular interest to canal users as they detail the proposed amendments to bye-laws from the 1986 Act, many of which have come under scrutiny from inland boaters since they were first suggested in the summer of 2014.

The bye-law amendments include provisions for the "charging and fixing of fees, tolls and charges in respect of the use by boats of the canals (including the use of locks on the canals and mooring on the canals) and the taking of water from the canals".

Details of any such new bye-laws will be published on the Waterways Ireland website and in local newspapers, and users may submit objections during the 21 days from the first publication of notice.

The Heritage Bill is available as a PDF to read or download HERE.