A man living in an illegal cabin is ready to be arrested as the deadline for demolition of the structure has passed. 

Sean Meehan, aged 65, installed the mobile home on his land in County Tipperary after his marriage ended.

No planning permission for the dwelling was granted and officials told him he had to take it down by March 14th.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Meehan said he expected he would soon be jailed.

“I’m not far off it,” he said.

“The deadline was yesterday… So, I have to stay here and it’s a panicky situation.

“It could come at 6 in the morning, I don’t know.

“I think the procedure is if they arrive, they arrest me and take me away for what, I don’t know.”

Homelessness or prison

Mr Meehan said he had repeatedly applied for planning permission over the years but had been unsuccessful on each occasion.

Now, he is facing homelessness.

“I’m taking a stand on this because if I take it down, I’ll have nowhere else to go,” he said.

“They will have to try and house me and they say they have no housing for me.

“Then they send me to jail and when I come back, I have no house [as] the site has to be completely cleared.

“I just don’t get why they are doing this to me; I’ve tried every way [to obtain] planning… They’re taking me on with this [but] probably the majority in there couldn’t find the place.”

If and when Gardaí come to arrest him, Mr Meehan said he will not leave his home voluntarily.

“They will have to take me forcibly,” he said.

“I’m not going because I think the situation here is wrong and they can’t discriminate against me.

“They can build these all over the country and there’s no issue whatsoever without planning.”

In January, there were 13,531 people living in emergency accommodation - the highest number in the history of the State.

Main image: Sean Meehan's cabin in Co Tipperary. Image: change.org