The owner of an 18th-century property that houses almost 100 women seeking asylum has secured a High Court order preventing protesters from harassing or intimidating residents, staff or contractors there after work on a new water connection had to be stopped over safety concerns.
At the High Court on Friday, Mr Justice Brian Cregan was told how earlier this month a new water connection was due to be installed at Ryevale House in Leixlip, Co Kildare, but a foreman was told by a protester that works would not start “unless the contractor was prepared to hit him with the bucket of his digger”.
Niall Handy SC, for the owner, Me Liberer Unlimited Company, successfully applied for a short-term injunction restraining nine named defendants from continuing interference at public land to the rear of the house where Uisce Éireann was due to install the connection from the public water main. Only one side was represented during the application.
Mr Handy read the affidavit of Maria Seidner, group operations manager of Ryevale House, which has a contract with the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) office to accommodate the 93 women.
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The three-storey house, with associated courtyard, couch house and grain store, began housing international protection applicants in March 2023.
Ms Seidner said in her affidavit that due to the age of the house the original plumbing did not have a modern level of water pressure and that a water tanker had been supplying Ryevale at a cost of €2,300 a week.
Ms Seidner said there had been considerable and frequent local opposition at the gates of the property from protesters opposed to the women being accommodated at the house.
A new public water connection was to be installed and on March 3rd, the day before work was due to begin, a foreman attended the site in preparation.
In her affidavit, Ms Seidner said the foreman told her he encountered opposition to the plan and that a local protester told the foreman there was no way the works would be carried out unless he was prepared to hit the protester with “the bucket of his digger”.
It is claimed that protesters had regularly picketed the house and had harassed delivery drivers in the past.
On March 4th, the contractor was unable to carry out the installation due to a protest by the defendants on an open space where the works were due to begin.
It is alleged four cars were parked as an obstruction to any works and placards had been erected on the open space and on the rear door of Ryevale House itself.
Ms Seidner said she attended the scene that morning and was unable to cross the open space “owing to the blockade of the defendants”.
She said protesters were “verbally forceful” in warnings to her, she felt intimidated by their robustness and protesters “stepped in very close to my body”.
“Protesters held up mobile phone cameras in my face, making recordings and making negative comments, challenging my right to be present and resolving to continue blockading and interfering with the planned works,” she said.
Protesters “vigorously refused” to move when the attending foreman asked them to do so and the decision was made to leave the area as it was impossible to carry out the works, it is claimed.
Uisce Éireann told Ryevale that its water connection will not be installed until the protest is resolved “given the concerns they have for the safety of their contractors”, she said.
Ms Seidner said Me Liberer wrote to the defendants seeking an undertaking to stop protesting, but no undertakings were forthcoming.
“There is a constant vigil being maintained by local residents and a car is always permanently parked in place where the works are planned”, Ms Seidner said.
Ms Seidner said she was concerned that protests might “escalate” and that the situation has become “intolerable” and one “where a public body is prevented from carrying lawfully permitted and planned works”.
Mr Justice Cregan granted the interim injunction to Me Liberer and adjourned the matter to next week.
