Concern as 3,000 gardaí in Dublin for May 1
The concerns were raised as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he hoped the historic celebrations would not be spoiled by “misguided hooligans”.
A senior official in the Garda Representative Association (GRA), said the drain on resources could cause problems in other cities and towns over the Bank Holiday weekend.
A very large contingent of specialised Traffic Corps units are also to be drafted to Dublin during a weekend synonymous with road carnage.
GRA vice president Chris Lee said he was aware that 50% of Traffic Corps units operating his own area of Longford were being posted to Dublin. Other garda sources around the country indicated that their Traffic Corps would be depleted even more.
“At the moment I have very serious concerns that the numbers (of gardaí) left in the majority of divisions may not be adequate given the volume of work which could be expected,” Mr Lee said. “It appears at this stage there could be somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 deployed in Dublin.”
Garda Press Office spokesman, Superintendent John Farrelly, said the exact number of gardaí being deployed in the capital hadn’t yet been finalised. However, he added that plans were nearing completion.
The Department of Defence announced that it would be deploying more than 2,500 personnel made up of units from the Army, Navy and Air Corps.
Armed soldiers will patrol around important buildings and will be assigned to protect visiting dignitaries attending the EU summit.
A spokesman for the Department of Defence added that members of the bomb squad and the Defence Forces CBNR (Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear) would also be on standby.
The organisers of the march have accused the authorities of hyping-up the threat of violence as an excuse for a show of force.
But garda sources indicated that they were concerned the march will be infiltrated by a large number of anarchists who are intent on causing trouble.
Despite the shortfall in Traffic Corps units outside Dublin, the National Safety Council (NSC) said it was pressing ahead with its May Bank Holiday campaign.
Fatalities on roads are up 30% for the first quarter of 2004. Last year, eight people died over the corresponding weekend, but the death toll for the first week in May was a staggering 17.
The NSC’s chief executive, Pat Costello, indicated it would be inappropriate for him to comment on garda operational matters.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said next week is about the historic enlargement of the European Union.
“It isn’t about a crowd of spoilers who travel around the world trying to cause trouble. I really hope that we can keep the focus on what it’s about rather than a crowd of misguided hooligans who like to try to spoil things,” he said.
