The High Court yesterday issued an order restraining local residents from picketing a site at Magee Barracks in Kildare town.
It has been designated by Kildare County Council as a temporary halting site for four Traveller families. The interim order was sought by Mr John Aylmer, for the council, who told Mr Justice Kearns the action by the residents was preventing work being carried out to develop the halting site.
The judge granted the order, returnable to Monday, against 12 named persons said by local gardai to be residents in the area.
Mr Aylmer said the four Traveller families involved had been subject to four sets of legal proceedings. In the first instance, the county council had issued proceedings to have them moved from a site in Kildare town to a site at Maryville, between Kildare and Monasterevin. However, farmers at Maryville had objected to the temporary halting site there and the council was injuncted from using that site.
The council then examined six other potential sites and eventually acquired a site from the Department of Defence at Magee Barracks on the outskirts of Kildare town.
Mr Aylmer said the council had undertaken to provide the site for use by the Travellers from early December but local residents were picketing the entrance to the site and preventing access and deliveries of building materials.
Mr Justice Kearns directed that a copy of the order be posted on the site.