A High Court judge yesterday found that a temporary halting site at Lynch's Lane in Clondalkin is a suitable site for temporary dwellings for Travellers and directed 10 Traveller families to obey an order from South Dublin County Council to move there.
Mr Justice Kinlen , who visited the site, said the key question was whether it was adequate. The Travellers who objected to being sited there could not do so on the grounds that they did not like the district, their neighbours or that there would be roadworks nearby.
He said a fire hydrant which was not working should be repaired before the families moved on to the site and any other repairs should also be carried out. However, he said the site was located in basically hygienic environs, although individual sites for temporary dwellings there might need regular attention to bring them up to standard.
In light of his findings, he directed that the council was entitled to serve notice requiring the 10 families, now living in caravans on unauthorised and unserviced sites on public land, to move their caravans to the Lynch's Lane site.
The judge was ruling on a preliminary issue in what he described as a "very important but very involved action" involving some 53 Travellers who are living in the council's area. In that action, the Travellers are seeking declarations that the council's housing policy towards them is not in accordance with its legal obligations.