Waterways body ‘fully aware’ of abandoned boat

Waterways Ireland said it's "fully aware" of a boat that has been left abandoned on Lough Ree, in the Glasson area, and is "actively scoping options" for the removal of the vessel.

A regular user of the lake recently contacted the Westmeath Independent to say that the boat has been abandoned and decaying for the last two years, and to ask what was being done in relation to it.

"When this boat sinks, as it will, it will pollute the whole area," our contact stated.

We submitted questions about the boat to Waterways Ireland and received a statement in response on Monday of this week.

The statement said that, although "this vessel has not been reported to Waterways Ireland," it was familiar with the situation.

"We are fully aware of it and are actively scoping options for its removal. It does not present a risk to navigation or pollution, as it is hard aground, meaning it cannot sink further," said Waterways Ireland.

"Progress in removing the vessel is dependent on budget, suitable water levels and weather conditions," the statement added.

Our local contact described this response from Waterways Ireland as unsatisfactory. "How long do they have to look at it before doing something? Why haven't they taken action on it before now?" he asked.

In its statement this week, Waterways Ireland said it "monitors vessels using our navigations in line with our responsibility to care and conserve the inland waterways".

It added that, over the past three years, it had "successfully removed more than 100 abandoned vessels" from its network of waterways.