DUBLIN, Ireland: A historic city council-owned building next to the former vegetable market in the north inner city of Dublin has been occupied by nearly a dozen ‘squatters', the High Court heard.

One of the people living in the building, Jem Cleaver, has been involved in several High Court cases since 2015 about allegedly occupying empty buildings illegally in the city.

Last week, the building's owner, Dublin City Council, was allowed to take legal action against "unknown persons" who are said to be illegally staying in Arran House on East Arran Street. The building is planned for renovation for commercial use, along with reopening the nearby vegetable market building.

The house is a three-storey building from around 1890 and was previously used for business purposes. The council plans to use it again for business activities connected to the market.

It is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, which recognises buildings of historical, artistic, or technical importance and helps determine whether they should be protected.

On Tuesday, Jem Cleaver told the court that they first learned about the council's case through a newspaper report.

Cleaver said about a dozen people are staying in the building. They asked for more time to respond to the council's legal documents and to get legal advice.

Justice Brian Cregan agreed to delay the case for three weeks. Cleaver also requested that the case be mentioned again to update the court about getting legal advice.

The judge said that if a reply is not ready by then, a reason must be given.

He also ordered that no changes should be made to the building for now, after the council raised concerns about possible asbestos in the roof and other health and safety risks.