A preschool operating within the grounds of a north Dublin halting site had to close due to its staff being subjected to “unacceptable threats and intimidation” as part of a suspected feud over Dublin City Council works, the High Court has heard.
St Margaret’s Pre-School CG this week secured orders appointing a liquidator to itself after it told the court staff were left “in fear” from threats and it has been unable to source alternative premises.
The court heard the preschool operated from a community centre in St Margaret’s halting site in Ballymun from 2011 until June 2023. It catered primarily for children resident on the site but also for some children from the general locality.
A director of the company said she believes there has for the past few years been an ongoing dispute between a small number of residents of the site and Dublin City Council.
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In an affidavit, she said she understands that the dispute originates from construction works carried by the council.
She said the council is the landlord of the preschool premises and, “through no fault of its own”, the preschool has found itself to be a “target of the ire of a small number of site residents and/or other unknown persons involved in the dispute”.
She alleged that, as staff were preparing to reopen in September 2023 after the summer break, an unknown man called and threatened to burn down the preschool if the local authority failed to carry out certain construction works on the halting site.
Pre-school staff members reported being watched as they left the premises, and a decision was made not to open the following Monday as planned, the director said.
She said the council’s Traveller accommodation unit was notified of the incident.
The school’s board was told that the council met residents more than once but talks broke down and the council advised it would no longer cooperate with the group of residents until the threat on the community centre was lifted, the director claimed.
She said the council reported the threat to gardaí and removed its staff from the site following threats to them.
The preschool board was informed in February 2024 that the dispute remained unresolved and that the council had yet to return its staff to the site, she said.
Pre-school funding had ceased by October/November 2023 due to the closure, so staff had to be paid out of company reserves, she said.
During the closure, the premises was used as a dumping ground for rubbish and horse manure, the director said.
Last April, a majority of its board of management voted to close the preschool permanently and to seek the company’s winding up.
She said the closure is “entirely out of our control” and comes despite “Trojan efforts” by all staff members and company directors.
She was pleased that, thanks to the efforts of the staff, all children previously enrolled have found alternative placements.
Mr Justice Oisín Quinn commended the preschool’s staff, directors and members for all their efforts in the face of what they experienced.
He acceded to the company’s request for a liquidator to be appointed.
The company’s barrister, Sally O’Neill instructed by Clark Hill Solicitors, had submitted that the winding up was just and equitable in the circumstances.
The court heard the company is solvent and will have an excess of funds after repaying all remaining creditors.
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