Waterways Ireland

Largest of the six North/South Implementation Bodies

Statutory Function

Manage, Maintain, Develop and Promote the Inland Navigable Waterways principally

for Recreational Purposes

1,000 KM OF WATERWAY

420 KM OF TOWPATH

SEVEN NAVIGATIONS

175 LOCKS & CHAMBERS

360 BRIDGES

1,200 HERITAGE STRUCTURES

13,900 M OF MOORINGS

- Deliver World Class Waterway Corridors & Increase Use

- Create job, support business delivery

- Sustain their unique built and natural heritage

3

Our Goal ...

Challenges • Declining Resources

• Weather

• Invasive Species

• Aging & Historic Estate – infrastructure failure

• Bye-Laws

• Water Quality & Supply

• Designated Lands

How Have We Responded to these Challenges?

Used capital funding for repairs and replacement

New embankment constructed in Cloonlara

Lock gate Manufacture & Replacement: Installation at Roosky Lock

Embankment repair

completed in Feb '18 along the Lough Allen canal

Reduce Costs

• Fixed overheads reduced by 50% from 2013

• Seasonal business – staff nos: 319

• Reduced Senior Management Team

• Use of technology – internet to carry calls - €100k per annum

• Match service to use – Lockkeepers Agreement - €180k per annum

• Closed services in Winter

Earn Income • Goal to earn ongoing income stream on each waterway

• Operating licences - €100k

• Develop towpaths, ducting to carry services - €86k per annum

• Charge 3rd parties for temporary use of our land, eg site office, 3 car parking spaces €24.5k per annum

• Sell airspace, eg Grand Canal Dock - €1.5m

• Rent land and buildings - €160k

• Let office space in HQ - €45k each year

Use 3rd Party Funding to Support Development

• Royal Canal Towpath Development - €3.73 m – Dept of Tourism & Sport and Local Authority funding

Fáilte Ireland Strategic Partnership 75% funded

Key project development; - Shannon Masterplan - Dublin City Canals Greenway - Tourism Masterplan for Grand Canal Dock

• Shannon Blueway Acres Lake Boardwalk - €500k – Rural Recreation Scheme

Goal ...

Increase Use by 5% annually by local communities

Paddles Up

Blueway 10k

Open Water

Swimming

Increase Use

By attracting new visitors Changes in how people spend their leisure time - Activity tourism New Products & Markets

Blueways

Sports Tourism

Heritage Trail

Motor home facilities – based at existing harbours and amenity sites

Redevelop key sites – Tullamore/Mullingar Harbours

Tullamore Harbour

Key Priorities Complete Linear Trails along all our towpaths

Blueways – development is a partnership presenting the

waterways new users walking, cycling, mapped trails, activity providers, local authorities and local

communities.

• Shannon Blueway – Opened 2014

– 100k users bringing €4m to local economy

– Acres lake Boardwalk

• Shannon-Erne Blueway – Opened 2016

• Lough Derg Blueway – Opened 2018

“Core Potential” = taken activity holiday in last 2 years and would consider taking a holiday in Ireland in next 3 years Strong Potential interest within the key markets: •Walking – 34 million •Cycling – 20 million •Watersports – 17 million

•If we attract only 5% - additional €1bn of tourist revenue

Demand for Outdoor Recreation

Activity Tourism is Big Business

Develop an Inland Waterways Spiritual Trail

• Inland waterways were once a great highway for pilgrims in Ireland

• An ancient spiritual route exists from the Shannon Navigation to Lough Erne and beyond to Lough Derg in Co Donegal

• 13 Local Action Groups and Local Authorities, Fáilte Ireland, Built Heritage LAG Co-ordination Project

Ulster Canal

• 76 km in length – Wattle Bridge on the River Finn to Charlemont

on the River Blackwater

Ulster Canal New extension navigation Lough Erne to Castle Saunderson - Complete

Ulster Canal Greenway

Waterways Ireland lead development of a greenway

linking the Erne System at Castlesaunderson to the

River Blackwater at Charlemont and following the

line of the Ulster Canal

- Approved by NSMC on 10th June 2015

Smithborough Monaghan

Middletown

Ulster Canal Greenway €4.95m Interreg Sustainable Transport to fund 22 km of towpath along Route of Ulster Canal

Due to complete in 2021

From this…

…to this

Grand Canal Dock & Spencer Dock, Dublin

To create Dublin City outdoor Blue playground - an animated destination in the city

Key to linking the city and use of the wider rural canal network

• Dublin City Canal Events Strategy

– The Royal Canal Big Day Out

• City Centre Triathlon Open Swim Training Location – Spencer Dock

• New Exit & Board Walk from Grand Canal Dart Station

• 12th Lock to 12th Lock City Cycle Loop

• Work with Dublin City Council and Irish Water ref. Water Quality

Canal Bye Laws

• Over 14,500 Registered Boats – 1,000 km navigation

• 508 boats on 360 km of canal network – 75% NEVER move

• Canals Act, 1986 (Bye-Laws) 1988 – 30 Years without amendment

Canal Bye Laws - Proposal

Modernise Charging • Current Charge

– €126 to use for year

– €152 to moor for a year (max)

compared to

• €600 - €1,800 for a Private Marina Mooring on other navigations Waterways Ireland manages

-Waterways Ireland provides public infrastructure navigation such as moorings, etc. -Other navigations private sector provides off line moorings -Canal network – no private inward investment, Waterways Ireland charges too low

Canal Bye Laws - Proposal

Introduce Fixed Penalty Notices

• Only sanction - Removal

• Expensive

• Cheaper to abandon wreck for Waterways Ireland to remove

Granted in 2005 – Maritime Safety Act

Canal Bye Laws - Proposal

Make Provision to Manage New Use • Houseboats

– Ability to provide for, manage and charge

The Value of the Inland Waterways

Annual Value €m

Private Boating 88

Cruise Hire 55

Angling 142

Access to recreational opportunities 50

Health benefits due to increased physical activity

30

Events 8

Good status water quality 16

TOTAL €389 m

Changing Level of Funding

Current Capital Total

2010 €29,600,000 €9,405,000 €39,005,000

2018 €24,100,000 €3,580,000 €27,680,000

Funded 85% Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and 15% Department for Infrastructure. Each jurisdiction funds its own capital programme.

Critical Structures Repairs

Figures are in 000's

IRELAND 2016 2017 2018 2019

Budget Required €5,984 €6,184 €6,2441 €6,633

DCHG €2,680 €2,680 €3,580 €4,380

Additional In Year Funding

€3,188 €2,766

TOTAL €5,868 €5,446 €3,580 €4,380

Pension Costs

• Pension Costs 2010 - €700,000

• Pension Costs 2018 - €2.80m

• Estimate Pension Costs 2019 - €3.3m

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 * 2016 2017 2018 F 2019 F 2020 F

Pension Costs 2010 to 2020

Thank you

Dawn Livingstone Chief Executive Office Phone: +44 (0) 28 6634 6201 Home Phone: +44 (0) 28 6772 2240 Mobile: +44 (0) 74 4323 3713