Woman occupying vacant Dublin council house agrees to move out

A dispute between a homeless woman who has taken up residence at a vacant local authority house and Dublin City Council has been resolved following talks between the parties.

Clare Elliot is to vacate the council house at Belcamp Avenue in Priorswood, Dublin 17 as a result of the agreement.

The council brought High Court proceedings against Ms Elliot (29) over her recent occupation of what had been a vacant property. It claimed she had no right to occupy the house and sought various orders including one directing her and her children to vacate the property.

Ms Elliot, a mother of three, had been living in emergency accommodation and various B&Bs for around a year after her landlord sold the house she had been renting.

The High Court last week heard the council had made an offer of emergency accommodation but negotiations with Ms Elliot had broken down.

The case returned before Mr Justice Richard Humphreys at Tuesday's vacation sitting of the High Court and the judge agreed to a request from Karen Denning BL, for the council, to allow the parties time to discuss the matter outside the court.

Counsel later told the court that the case had been resolved following talks between the sides. The judge was told the parties had agreed that an order could be made directing Ms Elliot, represented by solicitor Gary Daly, to vacate the house.

No others details of the agreement were given in open court and the settlement arrangement is understood to be confidential.