Hi-tech EU security plan devised by Gardaí

GARDAÍ have prepared a multi-million euro hi-tech operation to ensure the safety of high profile visitors during Ireland’s EU presidency which begins tomorrow.

As well as providing tight security for visiting government ministers and officials, the force will also be equipped to handle any serious crowd control problems.

The highest state of alert will probably be in place during the visit of European heads of state to mark the accession of 10 new countries to the EU on May 1.

The Government is also hoping to have United States pPresident George Bush visit the country before the summer.

Given the recent increased terror alerts in the US, this would require major security logistics for the gardaí.

In the meantime, following tomorrow’s official opening ceremony, the first major event will be the visit of the members of the EU Commission members to Dublin Castle next Tuesday.

Most Cabinet ministers will host their EU counterparts for seminars and conferences, many of them to be held at Dublin Castle.

However, some will take their fellow ministers to other venues, including Galway, Portlaoise, Drogheda, Dromoland Castle, Punchestown, Tullamore, Kildare, Dundalk, Shannon, Limerick, Killarney, Cork and Waterford.

Senior garda officers have been meeting regularly during the year to arrange the details of security arrangements, under a working group headed by deputy commissioner Peter Fitzgerald.

Specialist training and equipment have been provided for members of the force in Dublin and in a number of venues where ministerial and other meetings will be held up to the end of June.

The crowd control and security operations will exhaust most of the 12.5 million allocated under the garda’s 2004 budget specifically for the EU presidency.

Public order gardaí in Dublin and the other regions have been receiving crowd control training, including courses in new baton techniques which took place in the past few weeks.

Members of these units are being equipped with helmets with radios and ear pieces for easy communication.

The force has been given 23 vans, nine for the Dublin Metropolitan Region, to be fitted out for use by public order units.

The garda fleet now also includes a communications coach, which can be fitted as required with radio and closed circuit television (CCTV) equipment for use at locations around the country.

The hi-tech equipment to be used at venues where official EU business will take place include walk-through metal detectors bought specifically for the presidency, a rented explosive detector and at least one x-ray machine.

While most of the 12.5 million will go towards security and logistics, senior gardaí will also have a key role in policy meetings on EU Justice and Home Affairs during Ireland’s six-month presidency.