While planning my retirement, I was looking through the Waterways Ireland T&C's as one possibility for the future.
While looking through the details, it seen that anyone wanting to liveaboard full time on the Irish waterways has to pay for the higher price liveaboard licence. The more you plan to stay aboard, the more you pay. That would not go down well with the NBTA or would adding the tourist tax to payable visiter moorings another thing that some councils are looking at. Afterall these overstaying on the towpath in London are a drain on council resources. Unlike those who are on long term paid moorings who are paying council tax on their moorings.
Waterways Ireland also require a upto day Photo of the boat and that the name and index number is clearly displayed on the boat (Not on a bit of paper stuck in a window). This is enforced on Irish waters, any boat with it's name & index not clearly displayed or has no permit is removed pdq.
It does seem that Waterways Ireland has far more powers to remove a boat than CRT does S.I. No. 247/1988 - Canals Act, 1986 (Bye-Laws), 1988.
Waterways Ireland permits
Combined Mooring and Passage Permit (CMP) permits the holder to pass through locks and to moor at the same Public Mooring for up to five days in any calendar month.
Non-Residential Extended Mooring Permit (NR-EMP) permits the holder to moor in an allocated location for up to one year. A NR-EMP is non-residential and therefore cannot be used a primary residence, however the holder is permitted to stay overnight for up to 90 days in any one year.
Residential Extended Mooring Permit (R-EMP) allows the holder to moor in one location for up to one year. Holders of a R-EMP have no limitation on the number of nights they may stay on board and are permitted to use their vessel as their primary residence.