A heavily-pregnant woman threatened with eviction was granted a temporary reprieve yesterday while the Dublin County Sheriff investigated her case, writes Róisín Ingle
Earlier this month, Ms Fiona Saul and her family were served with an eviction notice by the sheriff ordering them to leave their home at Lower Albert Road in Sandycove, Co Dublin, by August 14th.
Ms Saul, who has three children under 18 and a two-week-old grandchild living in the house with her, failed to get the order overturned at the High Court on Tuesday.
She was due to be removed from her house sometime yesterday.
However, after reading a newspaper report about the woman's situation, the Dublin County Sheriff, Mr John Fitzpatrick, put a temporary stay on the eviction.
"I rang the bailiff who was on the premises at the time and told him to hold off until I had a look at the case," Mr Fitzpatrick told The Irish Times yesterday.
He said that he intended to discuss the eviction order with the solicitor acting for the person, a former partner of Ms Saul, who has won a legal action gaining rights to the home, a development which precipitated the eviction order.
Ms Saul has said that she owns one-third of the three-bedroom house.