Vol. 465 No. 4
109 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the steps, if any, the Office of Public Works will take to ensure that there is no open access to the dangerous dock area at Spencer Dock Bridge, Dublin 1 in view of the fact that there have been many drownings at the bridge in the past. [9908/96]
The Deputy is, I assume, referring to the area of the Royal Canal around the road bridge at Spencer Dock.
The area around the canal at this location was retained by CIE when the canal was handed over to the Waterways Service in 1986. I understand that the area is not open to the public and that anyone trying to gain access to it would have to cross relatively high walls or barriers or pass Iarnród Eireann security to do so.
General policy in relation to canals is to have them as open and freely accessible as possible, consistent with public safety. I have no proposals at present to deviate from that policy by further enclosing the canal in this area.
