Residents should be consulted about the building of an emergency halting site for survivors of a fire which killed ten travellers, Enda Kenny said yesterday.
A plan to develop alternative temporary accommodation at a cul-de-sac near Carrickmines, south Dublin, not far from where the fire occurred, has led to a stand-off with locals. A small group of residents has restricted access over the past two days and prevented machinery from entering the location.
Officials from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county council attempted to ease residents’ concerns last night, but no agreement was reached and further talks will take place today.
One acre of ground had been earmarked to rehouse the travellers for what housing officials said would be 14 months at most. It had been planned to put in water and sewerage systems, four mobile homes, a shower block and toilets in the former playground at the end of the Rockville Drive estate.
Eleven adults and four children, including three toddlers — all relatives of the dead — were left homeless after the fire at the halting site on Glenamuck Road last Saturday.
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Mr Kenny said council chiefs must consult neighbours before opening the emergency accommodation. He said there was a “procedure and process” that council chiefs could use to consult with neighbours.
“I think there is a real need for deep sensitivity here, obviously consultation and conversation with communities is very important.”
Mr Kenny said the council was obviously more than anxious to accommodate the survivors.
“I think in any community around the country you have to balance what has happened,” he said. “This is an appalling tragedy with ten people who lost their lives. To stand there on the site and see what’s in front of you, speaks for itself, it will never leave my mind.”
The Irish Traveller Movement held a candlelight vigil at the fire site last night. It said the families hoped to remain in the area as one of the youngsters was at school locally.
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Officials said that travellers would only be housed at the temporary location for eight months while a permanent alternative is prepared. The emergency development would then be “decommissioned” within six months.
Ten members of the Connors and Lynch families died in the tragedy at a halting site on Saturday morning.
Funerals of those killed in the fire are to be held over the next week. Services will take place for Willie Lynch, his partner Tara Gilbert, who was four months pregnant, and their children Kelsey, 4, and Jodie, 9, and Willie’s brother Jimmy, 39, in Bray, Co Wicklow.
Thomas Connors, 27, his wife Sylvia, 25, and their children Jim, five, Christy, two, and five-month-old baby Mary will be buried in Wexford. Sylvia Connors was the sister of Willie and Jimmy.