Vol. 576 No. 5
380 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to a case on 18 November 2003 (details supplied), if he will consider amending the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to give protection from the Act to families and individuals who have no place to go in order to avoid prosecution. [29689/03]
I have had inquiries made and I am informed by the Garda authorities that the case referred to by the Deputy arose from complaints received by the Garda Síochána from local residents and Cork City Council in respect of a number of Traveller families who had moved into a green area adjacent to a large local authority housing area and the local Catholic Church.
I understand that four persons were convicted at Cork District Court. Two of those convicted received prison sentences for a period of one month, suspended on condition that they enter a bond to keep the peace for two years and not to park within 500 metres of the church in the Glen, Cork.
The provisions referred to by the Deputy were brought forward in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002 which is the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and any amendments are therefore a matter for him. I can inform the Deputy that I have no proposals at this time to amend the relevant provisions of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.
