Council begins legal bid to move Travellers

LEGAL moves began yesterday to move Traveller caravans parked illegally in an estate on Cork’s northside.

City council officials visited the encampment of 17 caravans parked on a green area near the reservoir in Knocknaheeny to gather evidence for court proceedings.

The council has referred the matter to gardaí under the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2002.

But a council spokesman said last night that the city was doing everything it could to resolve the situation.

There are no toilets on the site and residents complained last night that children are being exposed to the site of people urinating and defecating around the encampment.

City officials hope to lodge papers in the Circuit Court on Monday seeking an injunction against the Travellers under normal trespass legislation.

"We will be looking for the earliest possible hearing next week," said the spokesman. "But our experience is that Travellers will often move on before the hearing."

The council has taken two successful injunctions against Travellers in the last four years once against a group parked at Ellis yard and another against a group parked near the Blackpool flat complex. They moved on the mornings of the hearings.

City officials spent almost an hour at the encampment yesterday to establish whether the Traveller families had any connection with Cork or were in need of housing.

"The vast majority have no connection with Cork," said the spokesman .

"Some told us they have houses or halting bays in places like Galway, Clonmel and Cashel and others claim to be totally transient," he said.

Two of the 17 caravans moved onto the green area after they were moved from nearby John F Connolly Road last week on foot of a High Court order. One of those families is in the process of being rehoused, said the spokesman said.

The other 15 families have had no previous contact with Cork City Council.