Couple ordered by court to vacate bay on halting site

Galway County Council has secured a High Court injunction requiring two members of the Irish Traveller Community to vacate a halting site it claimed they have been trespassing on.

The Council claimed that Jason Corcoran and Alana Carr had, without any permission or prior notice to it, moved their caravan into a bay at the Capira halting site, which is located near Portumna, in South Co Galway.

The council said that the defendants had no right to occupy the bay and were trespassers.

They had been asked to vacate the property but had failed to do so, it was further claimed.

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As a result, the Council commenced High Court proceedings against the defendants seeking an injunction requiring them to cease trespassing and to vacate the halting site.

The defendants were not represented nor present in court when the case was called during Wednesday’s vacation sitting of the High Court.

Carol O’Farrell Bl for the council told the presiding judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens that there was “some urgency to the application” because her client had allocated the bay in question to another Traveller couple who are aged in their 50s who she said are in dire need of accommodation.

The other couple had been living in a tent and were considered to be in a vulnerable situation, counsel said.

Ms O’Farrell told the court that the defendants had never been in contact nor had any dealings with her client in relation to the allocation of the bay.

Mr Justice Owens granted the council the injunction directing the defendants to remove all their belongings and vacate the facility.

The injunction is to remain in place till further order of the court.

The judge said that he was also satisfied from the evidence put before the court that the defendants had been served with the legal documents in the case and were aware of the proceedings.

The judge said that there would be “chaos” if persons were allowed to turn up and occupy without any prior permission local authority run accommodation for members of the Traveller Community.

The judge added that the defendants must vacate the entire site at Capira by 5pm on Friday afternoon next.

The judge said he did not want to see a situation arise where the defendants would simply vacate the bay but would only move 20 meters away from the facility.