The site in Thurles, Co Tipperary, which has been rejected by Traveller families

Tipperary County Council has insisted categorically it will not be providing stables or paddocks for horses owned by members of an extended Traveller family who are due to move into a new €1.7m housing development.

Six new houses are lying empty outside Thurles in Co Tipperary while the families have been living on an "unauthorised" site across the road for decades and are refusing to move pending the provision of horse accommodation.

The situation was described yesterday as an "embarrassment" and a "thundering disgrace" by county councillors.

The council has said there was never an agreement, despite what members of the family involved say, to provide stables for two horses and some land behind each of the six new houses at Cabragh Bridge, about 2km from Thurles.

"There are issues we have to address, we're going to have to negotiate and discuss it with them, but there will be no land provided by the council for horses," the council's director of services for housing, Sinead Carr, said at a meeting in Nenagh.

"I do understand that the Travellers that are there have a particular love of horses and want to maintain it with them. I don't want to stop that. But I won't be doing it with the council's housing land."

Expand Close Empty: The site in Thurles, Co Tipperary, which has been rejected by Traveller families living in caravans across the road. Photo: RTÉ NEWS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Empty: The site in Thurles, Co Tipperary, which has been rejected by Traveller families living in caravans across the road. Photo: RTÉ NEWS

At least 50 adults and children live in mobile homes and caravans across the road from the new housing development, and say members of their extended family have done so for decades. They have their horses living in stables and paddocks on land which is understood to be in private ownership with at least two or three different owners.

The families say the matter is currently with their solicitor and there has been speculation in the council that the families are hoping to claim "adverse possession", or squatters' rights, of the land they are using for their horses.

However, the council say that the agreement they made with the families, over a decade ago, was that they would provide suitable housing and that, when the new homes were ready, the "unauthorised" site would be completely cleared. There may now be attempts with other "stakeholders" to look at arranging accommodation elsewhere for the horses.

Sinn Féin councillor David Doran said it was "a thundering disgrace" the houses have been built, at a cost of more than €1.7m, and are currently lying empty when there are hundreds of people on the council's housing list.

Cllr Jim Ryan, an independent, said it was "an embarrassment" for the council and "a disgrace" but said on this occasion the local authority wasn't to blame.

John Hogan, a councillor who was on the Traveller accommodation committee about 14 years ago when it was agreed between the council and the families living at Cabragh Bridge that the houses would be built for them, said that the agreement was that the houses would be built and then the bridge would be cleared.

"We need to set a deadline," Cllr Hogan said. "Whether those people move into the houses or go elsewhere, we have lots of families for them."

Ms Carr, said the council takes Traveller accommodation "very seriously" and is always keen to address any issues that arise.

"The council is very clear where it stands on this," she said.

"Our only objective in relation to that was to construct houses for those families. There was no agreement for anything else."

Irish Independent