Occupants given 21 days to leave ‘Squat City’

A group of people who unlawfully reoccupied the site of a planned student accommodation project in Dublin have been given 21 days to leave by the High Court.

A number of people set up what has been called Squat City in lands and buildings at Lower Grangegorman and Brunswick St, where planning permission was granted for 126 student accommodation units, the court heard.

Last year, the property was the subject of proceedings against a group who left after one was jailed for contempt of the order to vacate.

A company called TSAF 1 Brunswick GP Ltd bought the property in September, with vacant possession.

However, another group then moved in and set up “Squat City”, providing homes for tens of people.

James Keever, the only one of the squatters to appear in court, argued TSAF had no legal standing to bring proceedings because the property had not been properly registered after it was sold to TSAF.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan said

the onus was on Mr Keever to show he had a right to remain on the property and he had not done so.