A Co. Cavan man who says he is being blocked at every turn as he tries to provide a home for his young family has said he is terrified of being "put out" of the mobile home he bought to try and get round the housing crisis.
31-year-old Eoin McGovern lives with his partner Maria and their 20-month-old baby boy and nine month old baby girl in a mobile home in Ballyhaise in Co Cavan. The couple were renting before their children were born and worked hard and saved hard.
Eoin says it was their dream to have their own home and were mortgage approved but the mortgage was cancelled because Maria became pregnant and had to go on Maternity leave. This was in 2022 and they had € 50,000 saved but not enough to buy anything and a family member suggested that they get a mobile home.
The young family spent €20,000 on a mobile home and within three weeks of putting the mobile home in Eoin's mother's garden they got a letter from the council to say somebody had reported them. They didn't know that they needed planning permission as it's on wheels it is not a permanent structure
The mobile home is behind the garage so nobody can see it from the road, it's neither an eyesore nor an inconvenience to anybody. The local family say the mobile home was their only option and are now in a catch 22 situation,
Aontú Cllr Sarah O'Reilly, a candidate in the Cavan Monaghan Constituency in the upcoming General Election says "This is a terribly sad situation for Eoin and his family. He is being blocked at every turn and all these efforts to help himself are being hindered.
