#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.