Emergency housing bid dismissed

The High Court has dismissed a challenge by a woman and her five children against Galway County Council’s refusal to provide them with continued emergency accommodation after they turned down a four-bedroom house.

The claims were dismissed by Ms Justice Miriam O’Regan, who found that the local authority did not breach the family’s constitutional rights or their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) when it decided to stop providing them with emergency accommodation.

The court heard emergency accommodation ended last summer after the family, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, refused the council’s transitional offer of a four-bed house. They turned down the offer because the house is located too far away from Galway city, where a special placement has been provided for one of the children, who requires significant educational and medical supports.