A WOMAN who promised she would remove a caravan illegally parked on a site in County Limerick three years ago still hasn’t done so, a judge was told.
Newcastle West District Court heard that Mary Flynn had promised three years ago to remove the caravan she was living in at The Square in Rathkeale, but so far, that has not happened, Will Leahy, prosecuting for Limerick City and County Council, said.
The court heard that Ms Flynn had told the Council that she was applying for a Council house and that the house she had been doing up was not in a habitable condition, but her 82-year-old mother is now living there.
“Three years ago, there was evidence that there was money in a bank account to do up a house that she was to move into. She gave sworn evidence that she would move the caravan by April 1 last year. Now, her 83-year-old mother is living in the house. Who is fooling who?” Judge Carol Anne Coolican asked.
When the judge asked what the local authority wanted from the court, Mr Leahy said it was “open to you to fine her for every day that the caravan is not removed or to jail her, but fines are no good to the Council. We want the caravan removed.”
Ms Flynn took the witness stand and, under oath, gave an undertaking that she would remove the caravan before the next court date, May 6.
Judge Coolican asked Ms Flynn if she understood that she had given “an undertaking on oath to the court”, and not an “indication”, that the caravan would be removed.
