THE President of the High Court Mr Justice Costello, yesterday ordered a group of travellers to leave a site in Tralee, Co Kerry, after he was told that their presence was holding up a £10 million development.
The judge also directed that Tralee Urban District Council find temporary accommodation for the group pending the council's appeal against a Circuit Court ruling last March that the UDC rehouse the group within a month of the order being made.
Mr Justice Costello, who allowed the council to appeal the Circuit Court's ruling, said he was quite satisfied that the High Court had exercised its discretion in allowing the appeal to be made. He was told that four families remained on the site which had been purchased by builders Ned O'Shea and Sons Ltd, Rock Business Centre, Rock Street, Tralee.
Mr Donal O'Donnell SC, for the builders, said the development, which involved the construction of a large number of apartments, formed part of an urban renewal scheme. He said the deadline for qualifying expenditure on development under the scheme had been extended to July 31st but the extension was on condition that at least 15 per cent of the expenditure associated with the scheme had been incurred by that date.
Mr Justice Costello refused an application by Ms Aileen Donnelly, counsel for the travellers, for a stay on their removal from the site pending the appeal against the Circuit Court order. The travellers must leave the site because of the very serious consequences faced by the builder if they remained, said Mr Justice Costello.