Young family have ‘nowhere to go’ and told they must remove caravan

A Cavan man has been served with a notice to remove the mobile home in which he and his family have been living. The mobile home is located at his mother’s property in Ballyhaise.

Eoin McGovern and his partner Maria applied for a mortgage two years ago, and got pre-approved. Maria became pregnant and started receiving maternity leave pay, at which stage they were no longer able to get a joint mortgage.

The current enforcement notice states that the mobile home must be moved by October, however they are still living there.

“I had really nowhere to go unless I was going to go back renting,” he said, which is now €1,500 to €1,600 per month for a house.

“I couldn’t get social housing because I was over the threshold,” explained Eoin, which he finds “so annoying.”

“I just didn't know what to do, I had no option basically to do anything.

“All we want to do is get a house for all of us and that’s what we’re trying to do and it seems like we’re not getting any luck or any help from anybody.”

Despite this, Eoin said staff in Cavan County Council “have been very good.”

“They understand that we’re in a housing crisis and they know that it’s difficult for a young family to get on the property ladder.

“They are being very good to be fair, they haven’t really been trying to move us out, it's just they keep getting letters from whoever reported [us].”

Eoin believes, ultimately, they “won’t be able to get” planning permission, leaving the family with “nowhere to go.”

Upon applying for a mortgage himself, Eoin was offered around €98,000. Between both of them, they had €50, 000 in savings, however he said “there were no real houses up for sale for that amount".

Previously, the couple were paying €1,200 in rent in Cavan per month.

“I wouldn't have been able to afford the rent and pay for a mortgage also,” he explained.

His sister suggested that they purchase a mobile home and place it on their mother’s land.

“I thought that was a good idea and I went ahead with it,” he said, adding that they purchased one for €19,000 in December last year and spent an additional €3, 000 getting it ready to move into. He put down gravel, and installed the plumbing and electricity services through his mother's home, also using her sewage tank, which is suitable for eight people.

“I wasn’t bothering anybody else with any of the appliances.

“I didn't think there was anything wrong and I didn’t realise I needed planning permission for the mobile home because it was on wheels.

“That’s my own fault,” he concedes of the latter.

“I saw so many other people with mobile homes on their land and I didnt think it would have been a problem.

“It would have helped us to save up for a mortgage because we wouldn’t have been paying rent and Maria could have spent time with the kids for the first couple of years of their life.

“As soon as I put the mobile home on the site I got a notice from the council asking for planning permission.”

Eoin feels if he was “building” or “renovating” a house, he could “probably” have got retention of planning.

“I wasn’t doing either of them,” he said.

“I was in a bad way to be honest.

“I was in and out of the council and I was really depressed in myself and so was Maria.”

Eoin and his family are considering their next steps.

Cavan County Council have been asked for a comment.