Asylum seekers encampments cost €790,769 in 2024

THE COST for fencing, clean-up and patrols for dealing with asylum seeker encampments along the Grand Canal reached €790,769 in 2024.

Waterways Ireland have confirmed they had run up bills of €790,769 in 2024, which included €566,718 in fencing costs, Janet Friend reports.

A further €95,170 had been spent on tent removal operations and €128,881 for patrols.

Set up camp

Asylum applicants repeatedly set up camp along the canal in Dublin and the patrols began in September to try to avoid new encampments being set up along the banks of the canal after an earlier removal operation.

Tents along the waterway were a source of controversy last year with asylum applicants regularly subject to abuse from far-right agitators.

When the lock and canal was fenced off this created a problem with people complaining it closed off access to the canal for pedestrians

A spokesperson for Waterways Ireland told:

Not a safe place to sleep

“The canal is a wonderful amenity for responsible recreational use—it is not a safe place to sleep.

"It can be deceptively dangerous, with deep water in places with up to 800mm of sediment on the bottom of the canal, and steep slopes.”

It was pointed out that ropes created the potential for trips and falls, which particularly in darkness, creates a risk of people inadvertently falling into the water. And there was the matter of risks linked to unsanitary conditions, fire hazards and structural concerns over canal infrastructure.