A FATHER-of-two said he feels like ‘a prisoner’ in his own home as a stand-off at an unofficial halting site in Bantry continues with Cork County Council.
Peter Delaney, his wife Christina, who is nine months pregnant, and their two children, were awakened at 7am on the morning of October 11th when plant machinery moved onto the site, which is adjacent to an official halting site at Reenrour.
With their third baby due in two weeks’ time, the couple said they invested €10,000 – which they described as ‘everything we had in the world’ – into buying a mobile home, which they moved onto the Council-owned site about two months ago.
A spokesperson for Cork County Council has declined to make any further comment on this issue, but last week the local authority clearly spelled out its position saying: ‘The site is separate and distinct from the halting site. There has been unauthorised occupation of the site in recent times which necessitated the Council seeking a court order for the site to be vacated.’
Having secured the court order, the Council last week moved to clear the site.
A work crew has since positioned large concrete barriers at either side of the metal gate at the site entrance.
The couple are taking turns to ensure there is someone in the mobile home at all times so it cannot be forcibly removed.
This, they said, is making them feel like ‘prisoners in their own home’.
