The family of a six-year-old Traveller child who was badly burned in a caravan fire in Portlaoise last weekend, was within days of moving into a house provided by Laois County Council.
Sarah O'Leary was with her sisters Mary Ellen (10), Alison (16) and nine-month-old brother John Joe, along with other relations, at the caravan at an unauthorised halt at Knockmay Estate, Portlaoise, when the fire occurred.
Sarah was taken to the intensive care unit of Crumlin Children's Hospital where she was treated for severe burns. Her brother John Joe was taken to Portlaoise General Hospital, where he was treated for smoke inhalation. Their conditions were described as stable earlier this week.
This is the third misfortune to strike the O'Leary family. They lost their 1l-year-old son Christopher and their six-month-old son Anthony to illnesses believed to be associated with protein deficiency symptoms.
The family had been living in a 24-bay halting site in Portlaoise town but left the site after inter-community tensions there last year.
According to Laois County Council, the halting site was the subject of a forced entry by a number of Travelling families from outside the county and there were subsequent difficulties between local Travellers and the newcomers.
The council took 16 named Travellers to court in an attempt to regularise the situation and received an undertaking that the "non-indigenous" Travellers would remain in one part of the halting site.
"In effect, the 24-bay site was two halting sites so the undertaking was that some travellers would remain in one site, but being so close there are tensions there."
The council also got a judgment against the named Travellers for £3,000 plus costs and undertakings that tenancy agreements would be signed.
However, last weekend tensions flared again and a Traveller was shot in the shoulder at the site. According to the Garda press office, he was in a stable condition early this week. A man was shot and killed at the site about two years ago, the council said.
Because of the tensions the O'Leary family moved out of the halting site and parked in the Knockmay Estate area. The council bought a house in the town's Parnell Crescent and its keys were due to be handed over this week, after refurbishment work.