65 year old Sean Meehan has been ordered to remove his “log cabin” structure from his lands at New Inn having failed to secure planning permission from the county council.
His dwelling is a mobile home which has been clad with timber.
Deputy Mattie McGrath questioned what appears to be double standards when it comes to planning.
“How come that hundreds of modular units can be placed on land by the State without planning permission at Floods Cross in Naas for example to house refugees while at the same time the Stare are forcing a single Irish man who places a modular unit on his own land to provide his own housing needs is being threatened with jail. Sean has two choices really – make himself homeless or go to jail.
“Will your government introduce a statutory instrument for the hundreds and maybe thousands of Sean Meehan’s who are using modular and log cabins to house themselves in the middle of a savage housing crisis?”
Sinn Féin’s Martin Browne says the government needs to stop making people homeless.
Deputy Browne says Sean Meehan’s situation and others like him cannot continue.
The Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning Kieran O’Donnell told the Dáil that the government could not get involved in individual planning applications.
“There’s noting to prevent people in any local authority to apply for structures – houses – built by wood but its up to each individual authority to assess each application on its merits. I think that message needs to go out.
“I don’t know the specific of this case – if you wish to provide them to me – but obviously we can’t get directly involved in any planning matter or in any individual case.”
