Plans to transform city’s canal network are scuppered

The chief of Galway City Council has said it is “regrettable” that plans to transform the city’s canal network into a ‘Venice of the West’ have stalled.

The ambitious plan would require millions of euro in funding to undertake.

However, the Council’s Chief Executive Brendan McGrath said the local authority does not even have funding for much-needed maintenance of the canals.

“We have collectively agreed that Galway, because of its wonderful and prized canal network could become the ‘Venice of the West’.

“The canal network will require many millions of euro to be spent to lever and unlock its wonderful potential. Regrettably, that funding is not presently available.

“The existing canal network is now showing the effects of decades of under-investment and substantial monies are needed, not just to enhance the canal network but to ensure its preservation for future years.

“Indeed, the budgetary challenge for the canal network for 2016 requires the Council to ask the Lough Corrib Navigation Trustees to reconsider the high level of increase in funding that it has demanded of the local authorities to undertake increased maintenance.

“The Council cannot fund this expenditure demand as, quite simply, the Council does not have that level of funding available to it.

“Extensive funding is required to undertake essential maintenance over the next number of years and that money is also unavailable at this time.

“Indeed, it is probable, if available, that the spending of significant monies on the city’s canals, over the next number of years, is likely to have but minimal impact on the public eye, as the monies required to be spent must be expended on locks, on drainage on canal banks and embankments, on bridges and on the bed of the canal,” said Mr McGrath.

This newspaper previously reported that the replacement of rotten lock gates and other works on Eglinton Canal – which experts have warned could otherwise cause flooding or even death – could cost up to €1.5 million.

Last June, emergency works were carried out on the lock gates at Parkavara to help reduce the risk of flooding. At the same time, engineers carried out an assessment of the gates and found them to be in a “dangerous” condition.

“Sudden collapse of the gates with a consequent torrent of water could happen at any stage. If one gate goes, both will go together.

“Such a sudden collapse and torrent would pose an appreciable risk of injury or even death to persons in the area and downstream.

“This would pose a significant risk of damage to nearby and downstream properties and structures, such as the bridge at the bottom of Dominick Street,” the engineers’ report read.

The gates need to be fully replaced, which will require new timber, new stainless steel straps and bracketing and re-fixing the existing salvaged cast iron and welded steel brackets.