Reports of Dubliners 'flocking' to beaches in Mayo and Wexford led to signing of emergency laws

“Ringer said that locals were on to him going bananas about the Dubs flooding the areas like Westport and Louisburg while Kehoe was the same about the beaches in Wexford."

File image

Reports of Dubliners flocking to beaches in Mayo and Wexford during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting led to the Government to introduce radical emergency policing powers for this weekend.

Concerns expressed by Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring and Defence Minister Paul Kehoe about large numbers of Dubliners heading to their holiday homes during the two-hour meeting was a key consideration when ministers approved the move.