There’s no sign of the metal fences going anywhere soon.

At a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, Waterways Ireland revealed it has spent €145,000 so far on removing tents from the canals and putting up fences in their place. These costs have only been incurred over the past two months (since May 9).

Yesterday, Éanna Rowe informed Social Democrats TD for Dublin Bay North, Cian O’Callaghan, that to date, 360 tents have been cleared from “encampments” along Dublin’s Grand Canal, including 30 tents removed today.

Speaking on behalf of Waterways Ireland, Rowe also said that the government agency is “looking at accelerating plans” around the “animation and activation of stretches of the canal” to prevent the likelihood of tents being pitched there. Rowe indicated that this anti-homelessness infrastructure might include more trees, as well as the construction of benches and seating to make it more difficult for tents to be pitched.

Rowe was asked how long the fences would remain in place, to which he responded: “Unfortunately, the fencing will have to remain in areas where tented encampments are springing up,” saying the fences are there “to protect” people living in tents. Rowe did not answer a question about whether the fences will remain “indefinitely.”

Elsewhere on District: Anti-Homeless Infrastructure Could Be Implemented At Grand Canal