23 Traveller families have been evicted from an 'unofficial' site in Dundalk, County Louth this week – First reports said the eviction was carried out with the assistance of armed police, but there has been no confirmation of this.
The site was originally an official halting site, but was closed by the Council 8 years ago – the water and sewage facilities were ripped out and the electricity disconnected – no alternative accommodation was offered and the site has remained derelict ever since
The Travellers re-occupied the site when they had nowhere else to go.
They walked out of e meeting with the council on Thursday when council officials suggested that the men could move into a hostel in Drogheda and the women to a shelter in Dundalk – it was suggested that foster homes should be found for the children .
They are now scattered over a number of unofficial stopping places without facilities and have been offered no alternative. - No social or affordable housing has been built by the Council though there is funding available for Traveller accommodation.
The TFamiles are on the car park of an industrial unit, without electricity, water or
The council offices remained closed all day yesterday to avoid confrontation with those evicted.
A similar situation, with a smaller number of travellers (including 15 children) has been postponed for the time being on the other side of the country, in Galway.
Last month, following a horrific fire which caused the deaths of ten people, including 5 children, at Carrickmines, in County Dublin – plans to offer the survivors a temporary site were ababndoned when the residents of nearby Rathmines protested.
The families are now stopping in a car park without sanitation, water or electricity.
The attitude towards Travellers has always been bad, but this now verges on ethnic cleansing
Jim Carroll