Council threatens to evict caravan family
It means the O’Donoghues will have their caravan — which is their home — impounded as, according to council policy, their presence is an illegal encampment.
Mike O’Donoghue, his wife Anne, and five children left Clare at Christmas after their caravan containing all their belongings was burnt out on a Traveller group housing scheme to which they had been ordered by the council.
“We were not told that the scheme was under threat. Our caravan and everything in it for Christmas was burnt,” Mr O’Donoghue said.
The family then travelled to Belfast where Anne gave birth to their baby girl. However, specialists at the Royal Victoria hospital discovered a hole in the baby’s heart.
“We need to be near a town because of the baby and two of the other children are going to school here. We have been given money by the homeless unit to try and get a B&B or a hotel, but no one will let us in.”
Mr O’Donoghue said he just wanted to be allowed to stay in one place until he gets more permanent accommodation for his family.
The family came to Ennis in 2008 and applied to get their name on the housing list, but have since been removed as they left the county. They have already had their caravan impounded and had to borrow the €1,000 it took to retrieve it from Cork. Clare County Council said it does not comment on individual cases.
“Clare County Council’s policy on illegal encampment is clear and it is to fully implement the provisions of Section 10 of the Housing Act 1992 as amended, as it concerns illegal encampment,” a spokesman said.
“The implementation of this legislation is in the interests of both residents in existing Traveller accommodation and other residents in the vicinity of the Traveller accommodation, and the council’s policy is set out in the council’s adopted Traveller Accommodation Programme.”
