The €16 million redevelopment of the Royal Irish Academy of Music's premises in Dublin city centre has been put on hold by protesters preventing accessing to and from the site, the High Court has heard.
The protesters, who the court heard live near the building, have put up banners saying "Developers Disrespect our Community" and "Support the Residents".
However, both the academy and the company carrying out the redevelopment works say such claims could not be further from the truth, as the works are to both expand and modernise the college's facilities.
They say the refurbishment works are not "a property play" or a speculative development project.
The academy and the building firm claim that the protesters' action, who are preventing access to the site by walking slow in front of the entrance on Westland Row, has resulted in the redevelopment works coming to a standstill.
Today at the High Court, Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds granted the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Purcell Construction, which is carrying out the works, a temporary injunction.
It prevents the protesters, or anyone else with knowledge of the order from impeding, obstructing or blocking the academy's entrance or from intimidating or abusing people seeking to enter the premises.
The injunction was granted on an ex parte basis and the matter will return before the court next week.
Seeking the order, Stephen Walsh for the academy and the company said the redevelopment work first commenced in May, and was called off from time to time to allow talks to take place.
The protesters' actions delayed works, counsel said, and raised health and safety concerns, particularly on one occasion when they stood under the slew of a crane being used to carry out work on the site.
Mr Walsh said the protester's actions were dangerous, and as a result there has been a build up of dangerous and hazardous materials on site, which would in normal circumstances be immediately removed.
Counsel said his client's engaged with what were the first wave of protesters, who he said had raised issues over noise and increased traffic arising out of the redevelopment works.
In early June, an agreement was reached to end the blockade with 18 households located near the site.
However, in late June, a second wave of protests commenced and the site entrance was again blocked.
It was not known if the second wave and the first group of demonstrators are linked, Mr Walsh said.
After an initial "ceasefire" when the protests were called off to allow discussions to take place the protests blocking the site recommenced and are ongoing, he added.
Attempts to mediate matters, involving local politicians Cllr Mannix Flynn and Deputy Chris Andrews, with the second wave of protesters were not successful, counsel said.
Mr Walsh said that some of the second wave of demonstrators also attended at the site with banners alleging the works were some sort of property speculation.
Counsel said that such claims "could not be further from the truth". The redevelopment works, he said, include a new 300-seater recital hall, and will see the academy increase the size of its facilities by 50%, allowing it to increase the number of its students.
This left the academy and the building contractor with no option other than to come to court seeking an injunction preventing the protesters from blockading the site, counsel added.
Following counsel's submissions, the judge said she was satisfied to grant the injunction sought.
While the judge acknowledged the right to peaceful protest she said she had to be mindful that evidence of a health and safety risk had been put before the court.
