Reprieve of 24 hours for residents told to leave crowded house

Dozens of tenants who were ordered by a judge to get out of an overcrowded private house by noon on Wednesday, have been given a 24 hour reprieve so they will have a bed to sleep in tonight.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane was told in the Circuit Civil Court that many of the 70 South Americans and eastern Europeans living in "cramped, dangerous and unhealthy conditions" still had no alternative accommodation to go to.

The court last week had directed the immediate ending of the use of The Pines, Lehaunstown, Cabinteely, Co Dublin, as “an unauthorised hostel” and ordered the tenants to leave by 12pm on Wednesday.

Judge Linnane had been told that the property was owned by an elderly man, Richard Stanley, whose son, currently living in London, had rented the house for €4,000 a month to Christian Carter, who has addresses at Dunedin Drive, Monkstown, Co Dublin, and Grove Park, Rathmines, Dublin.

She heard that Carter was renting on the house to about 70 tenants for €50 a week and netting a €10,000 monthly profit from the arrangement. He is due to appear before Judge Linnane on Thursday to deal with public safety concerns of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and the court.

Alternative accommodation

Barrister Alan D. Brady told Judge Linnane that he represented a group of 25 tenants who still had to find alternative accommodation but by order of the court should be vacating the property.

He said the county council’s proceedings were due before the court againon Thursday and asked that the deadline for leaving the house be extended until then.

Judge Linnane said she would allow a further 24 hours but warned that the serious issue before the court would have to be addressed.

Earlier Michael Binchy BL, for Mr Stanley, told the court his client was in his 80s and in poor health and, while the house had been rented to Mr Carter for €4,000 a month, he had been unaware of the situation that had arisen.

Barrister Liam O’Connell, counsel for the local authority, told the judge that up to 17 individuals were being housed in one room and that 36 had been given bunk and single bed accommodation in the basement.

Mr O’Connell said the council had become aware of reports that up to 70 people were being accommodated in the house and it would be seeking a permanent injunction restraining the continued use of the house as a multi-occupancy dormitory property.