Limerick gardaí taken off streets to police Shell pipeline protests

GARDAÍ have had to be taken from Limerick and other urban centres to help police protests over the Shell gas pipeline in Mayo.

Up to 150 gardaí were needed daily at the Rossport site when protesters were active and numbers were increased to 250 on certain days.

Garda commissioner Fachtna Murphy told the Dáil’s public accounts committee that the overtime, travel and subsistence costs involved totalled €11.1 million since protests began in 2005.