It was suggested to me today that, because some boating organisations want the Clones Canal, the project must be worthy of support. I find that argument less than convincing. If I offer someone the benefit of a sum of money, without charge, I will not be surprised if that person likes the idea — but that won’t show that it’s a good deal for whoever bears the cost.
In this case, owners of boats are being offered the benefit of €45 million, so it’s not surprising that they like the idea. But I think they should be offered a practical method of demonstrating the depth of their support.
Accordingly, I propose that owners of registered boats on the Shannon and the Erne be offered the opportunity to pay half the €45 million cost (the other half could be raised from a levy on the publicans of Clones, the other main beneficiaries). If there are 10,000 boats, the charge per owner, spread over three years, would be no more than €750 a year. Willingness to pay would provide more convincing evidence of support and would also make the project better value for the taxpayer.
Irish waterways history 