Calls are being made for a complete review of how house evictions are carried out.
It follows an incident yesterday morning when up to eight security guards were attacked at a repossessed home near Strokestown in Co Roscommon.
A number of vehicles were also set on fire, and a vet had to put down a dog who was injured in the disturbance.
Gardaí are today interviewing some of those injured in the incident.
The property was repossessed last Tuesday and three people from the one family had to leave, prompting an angry reaction from some locals and on social media.
Raining here in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. Most locals I spoke to wouldn’t go on tape, but all were very clear that their sympathies lie with the family at the centre of the eviction row. One man said local TDs should be with the people outside the gate and not up in the Dáil. pic.twitter.com/3yqIPNVd26
— Shane Beatty (@ShaneBeattyNews) December 17, 2018
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has ordered his officials to examine the regulating and licencing of people enforcing court orders.
Roscommon Fianna Fáíl TD and Strokestown native Eugene Murphy says the whole area of house evictions must be reviewed.
Eugene Murphy. Photo:Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
He observed: "It's way over time we take a look at how it's done.
"Any heavy-handed attempts to pursue people and pull them out of their homes should be taken out of the equation altogether."
Deputy Murphy has also said he is contacting the bank involved to see if anything can be done to ease tensions in the area - saying there's a 'need for calm' after the weekend incident.
"People really got upset"
Emmett Corcoran, owner and editor of local newspaper The Democrat, spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning, explaining that the repossession happened last Tuesday.
He said: "The optics of this were all wrong - I think that's where people really got upset, noticeably and viscerally annoyed about how this was conducted.
"The people who were evicted from this house were third-generation on a family farm... it is a very humble cottage that has been there for the best part of 100 years, probably."
He added: "A week-and-a-half before Christmas... three relatively elderly people [are] put on the side of the road."
A Garda investigation into “an incident of criminal damage and assault” at the house in Falsk is continuing.
