Order sought against former Clare TD and her six children to vacate rented property
Violet-Anne Wynne and John Montaine owe alleged rent arrears of more than €18,000, court heard
A landlord is seeking a court order directing former Independent Clare TD Violet-Anne Wynne and her six children to vacate a rented property in Clarecastle, Co Clare concerning alleged rent arrears of more than €18,000.
At Ennis District Court on Friday the owner of the property, Patricia Warshell, of Parliament Street, Ennistymon, was seeking an order from the court under Section 124 of the Residential Tenancies Act for Wynne, John Montaine and their six children to immediately vacate their rented home at Main Street, Clarecastle, Co Clare.
Warshell’s solicitor John Halpin told Judge Adrian Harris that there was an urgency to the matter and his client was seeking an order on Friday but was happy for a stay to be put on the order for one month.
Representing herself in court, Wynne told the judge she was a single mother and on Wednesday of this week had obtained alternative accommodation for herself and her six children.
Montaine was also in court and applied for an adjournment in the case to allow him to get a solicitor to represent him in the case.
Wynne and Montaine stood on opposite sides of the court when addressing the judge individually.
In the application, Warshell is seeking a judgment against the respondents, Wynne and Montaine, of €18,000 for rent arrears up to January 31st, 2026 together with further arrears which may have accrued up to the hearing of the application.
Warhsell is also seeking an order directing the property be vacated.
The judge said he would adjourn the case to November 25th.
The rent arrears case was one of two cases concerning Wynne on the court’s civil list on Friday.
The second case concerned Wynne owing a residual debt to an ex-employee, Fiona Smyth, from an €11,500 Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) award, and it was before the court for monitoring of payments being made.
Smyth’s solicitor Daragh Hassett said payments were ongoing and Wynne told the judge she wanted to reassure the court that the payments would continue to be made until the money is paid off in full. Judge Harris adjourned the case to next year to allow further monitoring.
Wynne – who received a TD’s annual salary of €113,679 – lost her seat in the November 2024 general election in Clare. Standing as an Independent, she received only 310 first preference votes having topped the poll in the 2020 general election as a Sinn Féin candidate.
