The Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) had to accompany contractors on a Cork halting site where a shooting happened during a dispute in summer, an Oireachtas committee has heard.
A disagreement between neighbours about a right-of-way sparked violence at the Spring Lane site, on the city’s northside, on August 23rd.
One man suffered a gunshot wound during the confrontation.
Cork City Council approved plans in 2024 to redevelop the Ballyvolane halting site due to overcrowding and safety issues.
There are also plans for new homes at a nearby site, Ellis’ Yard, and a third site, which is out for tender.
Addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community, council assistant chief executive Brian Geaney said works on the Spring Lane site had been delayed due to “law-and-order issues” and the “intimidation of contractors”.
There were 55 families on site, the committee was told at the meeting on Thursday.
He said contractors attempting to provide electrical upgrades at the site were forced to leave by a number of residents.
Geaney said the council was looking for a new contractor. He also said progress had been made on the third site with a tender going out last week.
He said €557,000 in funding was available for upgrades in electrical funding at Spring Lane, with €518,278 also secured for the upgrading of on-site “welfare units” for washing and toilets for families.
Brigid Carmody, project co-ordinator at Cork Traveller Women’s Network, showed the committee photos of the unsafe living conditions at Spring Lane.
These included photos of overcrowded conditions, potholes, which she said were “more like huge chunks of ground missing”, broken surfaces and sewage spilling out on the ground.
She also showed a photo of a cliff-face at the site, “which could collapse in bad weather”.
Breda O’Donoghue, director of advocacy at Traveller Visibility Group Cork, called for a community liaison officer to be appointed as a “conduit between residents and contractors [and] further security for engineers and contractors if safety was a concern”.
Asked by Senator Malcolm Noonan of the Green Party if long-term planning could not go ahead despite the intimidation incidents, Geaney said: “Funding from the department can’t be spent. The ERU has to go in to help us get on with work.”
Dublin North-West Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis said little progress had been made on electrical points and washing facilities since he visited Spring Lane four years ago.
Geaney said some progress had been made, but reiterated the security issues.
“Numerous contractors have refused to go on site due to intimidation of their staff. We want to spend the money allocated,” he said.
“Whether it’s pest control, routine maintenance, Portaloos, I have a litany of incidents where people have been stopped and intimidated and will not go back on site.
“We can’t go to provide the electrical updates.
“There are serious law-and-order issues here. One of the earlier photos showed the burnt mobile home that’s the subject of a Garda investigation.”