Father threatened with jail as family refuses to vacate home

Council applies to imprison John Paul Doyle who illegally moved into Longford house

Longford County Council has applied to jail a man who illegally moved his family into a vacant local authority house, for alleged contempt of court orders.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan adjourned the application, concerning John Paul Doyle, in the hope an intermediary could be appointed to help resolve the dispute involving Mr Doyle, his family and Longford County Council.

Last May, the judge made orders directing Mr Doyle, his wife Frances and their children to vacate a three-bedroom house at Casey Court, Keenagh, Co Longford which they had moved into some weeks earlier.

The council maintains the house in Keenagh is not suitable for the family’s needs.

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The court made the orders, which it stayed for eight weeks, after being told the family were not accepting an offer of alternative accommodation, a four-bedroomed house at Stonepark, outside Longford.

Application

When the matter returned before the court on Thursday, Paul Gunning, for the council, said it had brought an application to have Mr Doyle committed to prison for alleged contempt because, despite being given eight weeks to leave the house at Keenagh, he and his family had failed to do so.

The committal application, against Mr Doyle only, was brought as a “last resort”, counsel said.

The offer of alternative accommodation remains open, counsel said. As well as sourcing the house, the council had also raised the ceiling of the rent allowance which meant the family would pay weekly rent of €42.

Works had also been carried out on the property, including erection of a fence, to alleviate any safety fears of the family.

Mr Doyle, who was not legally represented but said he was getting a solicitor and barrister, said the house being offered is unsuitable and their concerns included fumes from a nearby garage.

One of his children has a heart condition, and a doctor’s letter stated the children also suffer from asthma and respiratory infections, the court heard.

Mr Doyle also said the council had stopped talking to him.

Mr Justice Gilligan, in adjourning the case, said no purpose would be served if Mr Doyle was jailed and he hoped an intermediary could be appointed to work out a solution between the Doyles and the council.

The judge warned Mr Doyle the family could not remain in the house in Keenagh, stating an order had already been made requiring them vacate.

Dispute

The matter will be mentioned before the court in six weeks, by which time the judge said he expected the dispute would be resolved. He said he sympathised with the council, which he noted had more than 1,200 people on its housing list and wants to offer the Keenagh property to another family.