THE LOCAL AUTHORITY at the heart of a dispute over a new temporary halting site in south Dublin has stated “progress” has been made with local residents.

A group had been opposed to the establishment of a new halting site over concerns that the temporary location could become permanent.

Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council has said that discussions are ongoing and that work is being done to reach further clarification.

“Everyone is conscious of the need to provide an emergency site for the families of last week’s tragedy as soon as possible,” it said.

This follows the tragic events of last Saturday when 10 members of the Travelling community died on a halting site in Carrickmines.

Negotiations have been ongoing since Wednesday with the local authority trying to convince a group of residents to allow contractors access to the site.

Other members of the local community have spoken out in support of establishing the halting site, with Alan Kelly earlier this week calling the blockade on Rockville Drive “shameful and disturbing”.

The group of residents blockading Rockville Drive earlier said that they were not consulted over plans to set up the temporary site.

The council has said that the site would be “decommissioned” within six months.

Read: Stand-off at Rockville Drive: Travellers group ‘hopeful’ of deal on halting site

Also: Stand-off at Rockville Drive: Still no solution after second day of talks