AN Irish man has been left homeless after Waterways Ireland seized his houseboat, calling it an “illegal construction”.
The man is now staying with a friend after his vessel was removed from Ireland’s Grand Canal.
He first floated his vessel in Apr, which is comprised of a steel cabin structure on top of large plastic barrels.
The man then subsequently received a letter from Waterways late last month serving him notice to remove the vessel from the water by the end of May.
The removal notice said Waterways is seeking a payment of 2,447 for costs incurred in the removal of the vessel, and advised failure to reclaim her by 05 Jul will result in it being disposed of by public tender or destroyed.
“The bye-laws are clear on what constitutes a boat, and a set of barrels with a garden shed on top does not meet the minimum safety, seaworthy or navigation criteria,” Waterways said.