A young traveller family who are living in cramped and freezing conditions in a caravan are pleading with the council for a home.

Aisling McDonagh lives in a small caravan with her partner and two children and despite what she describes as repeated contact with the council and letters from GP's and other professionals, she is still on the waiting list for a house with no light at the end of the tunnel.

When contacted by The Avondhu, a spokesperson for Cork County Council said they do not comment on an individual case.

The small caravan sited in Stag Park is very cramped and Aisling told The Avondhu it's so cold, that it's often warmer outside.

Her two children Biddy Scarlet and Jamie Jnr, who are both under the age of two, have no room to play and space is so limited that her one-year-old has not been able to learn how to crawl.

The presses and cupboards where food, clothes and toys are stored are wet with moisture and riddled with mould and Aisling said that the damp conditions mean that her children are almost constantly sick with head colds and infections.

On a very cold morning, the pipe from the gas bottle outside would freeze and often, they wake up to condensation dripping from the ceiling.

She added that no matter how many layers of clothes she puts on the children, they would be shivering at night time.

Thanks to the kindness of neighbours, Aisling can fill a drum with water and use this for cooking and cleaning, but once the water charges are imposed, this may be a kindness that not many will be able to afford.

The family have no toilets or anywhere to wash, there is no heating and no water.

"It's cruelty. I'm 23 now and I've been on a housing list since I was 18. This is an emergency," she pleaded. "It's very hard to cope with this. It's breaking my heart," the young mother added.

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