Court orders may be changed to stop midnight repossessions

The Government will consider amending the law governing court orders in the wake of a late night farm repossession carried out by uniformed men with balaclavas and dogs.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he was looking into the issue of a code of conduct, adding that “perhaps we should consider an amendment here which would regulate these orders and ensure they are carried out in much more appropriate circumstances”.

Mr Kenny added that “we have evidence of extraordinary activity by personnel here. It is not right that people should arrive at 3am to do this.”

Mr Kenny said repossessions ordered by the court should be orderly.

The Taoiseach was responding to Independent TD Mattie McGrath who said “there is no code of conduct for receivers and security companies - thugs, in other words - going onto people’s property at 2am or 3am dressed in balaclavas and with Alsatian dogs. They are mobs.”

‘Standing idly by’

The Tipperary South TD claimed the Government “is standing idly by and allowing this to happen in a democratic state”.

He added that in the incident at a property at Castledermot, Co Kildare “when the woman of the house asks for the court order, the superintendent is unable or unwilling to provide it. It is shameful that this should happen.”

The case had been raised in the Dáil on Tuesday when Kildare South TDs from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour as well as Mr McGrath expressed their concern about the farm repossession by 30 uniformed personnel, some of them with dogs and many wearing balaclavas, which began at midnight and lasted until 5am, while gardaí observed.

Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon said if courts did not say how their orders should be implemented, "we're allowing receivers and private security firms to act with impunity".