The coalition group, Take Back Our Spaces have once again torn down barriers at Dublin’s Grand Canal, following a protest outside the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
A group of Gardaí were situated close to the group at the Grand Canal, and re-erected the fencing that protestors removed. The protestors then hosted a sit-down on the barriers to prevent the Gardaí reinstalling the fencing.
Labour TD Ivana Bacik attended the beginning of the protest and gave comments to the press in sympathy with Take Back Our Spaces. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Bacik wrote that the group is “calling on the Govt to provide #HomesNotFences – and calling on @waterwaysirelan to remove the security fencing along the #GrandCanal”.
The public body Waterways Ireland installed the fencing by Dublin’s Grand Canal to stop homeless people and international protection applicants from seeking shelter and camping alongside the river bank.
Waterways official website states that “Waterways Ireland is seriously concerned for the safety and health of people staying in tents by the canal” and that the Waterways Ireland group have consulted with the public and will regularly publish updates on the situation.
Waterways Ireland confirmed to the Irish Independent that over 100 formal and informal complaints have been lodged concerning the Grand Canal, and that maintaining the fencing costs €30,000 a week.
RTÉ have reported that a total of 2,391 people seeking international protection accommodation in Ireland are currently without accommodation, due to what the Department of Integration has described as a severe shortage of accommodation.
