Legislation needed to deal with illegal encampments

LEGISLATION is needed to ensure “illegal encampments” can be properly dealt with and that those dwelling in them cannot stop other people enjoying public amenities, according to North Clare County Councillors.

At their July meeting this week, councillors said illegal encampments have been at the root of problems in several places, such as Clohanes Liscannor and Lough Bunny.

Mayor Joe Arkins suggested legislation should be introduced that allows gardaí to issue on the spot fines and that provision is made for money to be recouped through docking social welfare payments.
Newly elected chair Bill Chambers raised the matter at the meeting, saying there had been an encampment at Clohanes for the previous three weeks. He said people there had been “real rogues” and that there had been a number of incidents.

Councillor Richard Nagle said the arrival of such encampments is dreaded throughout North Clare. “Everyone waits with trepidation for them to arrive and inevitably they do arrive,” he said.
Councillor Nagle noted earlier in the year a car park at Doolin had been taken over, while the same problem arises at Clohanes year after year.

A meeting with gardaí may be useful, he suggested, to put a plan in place to deal with issues that arise. “The problem gets worse as we approach August. People are well aware that the courts are in recess.”
Often, people staying in the encampments have no regard for other users of amenities, he added.

Mayor of Clare Joe Arkins referred to incidents in Tubber and Corofin, noting that the encampments come to inland waterways too.
He said that besides the illegal parking, the behaviour of people in the encampments affects other people.

This was a theme Councillor Michael Kelly took up, saying that in one incident three men standing on the side of a road, not interfering with anyone, were approached by another man, who said to them, “Ye look fellas who are going to try and move us, but it’ll take more than the three of ye to move us.”

The Fianna Fáil councillor, who has said he won’t be contesting next year’s local elections, said there had been vandalism at Lough Bunny and nappies were thrown around the place. He said there isn’t much that can be done without legislation.
Following his contribution, Councillor Arkins proposed that the Minister for Justice be asked to bring in legislation providing for on the spot fines for illegal parking of caravans, with the money to be deducted from social welfare payments.

Councillor Nagle concurred that legislation is badly needed. “This happens country-wide year after year and no one in power is willing to do anything about it.” He said, at the moment, “the situation is intolerable”.
Councillor Michael Hillery said gardaí have said they don’t have the powers to tackle the problem properly and the problem will continue unless a way of penalising offenders is introduced.

Senior executive engineer Steve Lahiffe that while gardaí have been very helpful in instances where there has been anti-social behaviour the law, as it stands, is weak.
He stressed he wasn’t referring to any particular group and that some of those causing problems are people camping and large drinking parties.