Court bars protesters from blockading materials group

A BUILDING materials provider has claimed it is losing €40,000 a day due to “an unlawful” blockade of a of number its premises by subcontractors who claim they are owed money.

Yesterday at the High Court, Wicklow-based SM Morris Ltd, Abbeycove Ltd and Sancrest Holdings Ltd, which are in receivership, secured injunctions against 12 individuals who were among a group who have blockaded entrances to the firms’ head office, a quarry and several other sites.

Mr Justice Roderick Murphy granted Kieran Wallace, the receiver, orders preventing the defendants and anyone acting in concert with them from interfering with the conduct of the firms’ business at its head office in Kilpedder, Co Wicklow, the quarry at Kilbride, Co Wicklow, and several sites where the firms are conducting business.

The judge also granted an injunction restraining the same parties from obstructing, hindering and blockading the entrances to the office, quarry and other sites where the company is carrying out business.

The orders were granted on an ex-parte basis and the matter was made returnable before the High Court early next week.

Yesterday, Rossa Fanning, for the receiver, said those maintaining the blockades were unsecured creditors. Counsel said that this week the High Court made orders restraining 10 named individuals from obstructing, blocking or interfering with the quarry entrance after 25 people using 4x4s and cars blockaded the site.

Counsel said the defendants moved away when served with the initial High Court order. However, others who had joined the protest initially refused to move while others arrived to join the blockade, claiming the orders did not apply to them.

Counsel said protesters had also blocked the office entrance. Gardaí were called, but the protesters stayed and the company had to call off its night business.

The court heard that by yesterday morning the protesters had moved off the site but vowed to return. The quarry has been closed since Monday.

Counsel said that the protesters’ actions had caused losses of €40,000 a day for the firms.