The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
A RECOMMENDATION contained in a Traveller accommodation expert review report repealing trespass legislation would make it almost impossible to move on illegal encampments in Clare. That’s according to Deputy Cathal Crowe, who has described this proposal as “crazy and political correctness gone mad”. The Meelick Deputy has also expressed concern about the colossal legal fees faced by local authorities in defending themselves in court on matters relating to Traveller accommodation. In 2021, Clare County Council spent €1.1 million defending legal actions taken against it by various individuals and bodies. “It is a waste of public money that would be much better spent in providing accommodation, rather than lining the pockets of lawyers,” he said. Speaking in the Dáil recently, Deputy Crowe cited one of the recommendations contained in the report, which was published in July 2019, proposing to “repeal the Trespass legislation, in particular as it applies to publicly owned land, until an appropriate network of transient provision as envisaged …
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