A Dublin carpenter yesterday gave an undertaking to the High Court to stop picketing two building sites run by Collen Construction in the city.
Daniel O'Connell (31), Thomond Road, Ballyfermot, gave an undertaking to Ms Justice Mary Laffoy that he would stop picketing the sites at the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Frederick St and UCD, Belfield.
He also gave an undertaking that he would not interfere with access to the sites.
Mr O'Connell told the judge that he had only received papers in the case on Monday and he requested time to get legal advice.
Ms Justice Laffoy agreed to give him time and adjourned the matter until next Wednesday. She warned Mr O'Connell that if he breached the undertakings given to the court it was open to Collen Construction to bring a motion to bring the matter before the court.
Senior counsel Roddy Horan, for Collen, told the court that Mr O'Connell was "a seasoned campaigner" and had done this before. He said Mr O'Connell was "no stranger to the process" and was well-equipped to answer the charges made against him by Collen.
Mr Horan read an affidavit to the court from John Sweeney, the contract manager at the Hugh Lane site, in which he stated that Mr O'Connell was one of a group of people who had picketed the site on February 15th, 16th and 17th.
Mr Sweeney said that the picketers shouted abuse at workers entering the site.
He also said the picketers were joined on February 17th by Joe Higgins TD.
The court heard the contract for the Hugh Lane site is worth €10 million to Collen and work started in May 2004 and completion is imminent. The company said 40 workers are employed on the site, along with 15 subcontractors.
The court was told that continued disruption to the site was costing the company €5,000 a week.
The High Court was told earlier this week that the picket was in support of three unemployed bricklayers who are now facing their second week in jail for refusing to undertake not to picket another Collen site at Ballybrack, Dublin, arising from their failure to secure jobs there.
The men also claimed "local" workers were failing to secure jobs on the site, where houses are being built for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council.
Collen had sought the committal order against the three and several protests have taken place since at various Collen sites in relation to the jailing of the men - Andrew Clarke, Cromlech Fields, Ballybrack; Keith Kelly, Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack and William McClurg, Sallynoggin.
On Friday last, Collen secured an injunction against the Building and Allied Trades Union and Mr O'Connell, restraining them from picketing the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery and UCD.
Collen had complained that its employees were being intimidated on the two sites.
The company said this was in circumstances where there was no trade dispute between it and the union and where both sides were bound by a registered agreement relating to employment of persons on building sites.
Counsel for the union has already given an undertaking not to picket or sanction the participation of its membership in industrial action against Collen Construction.