Gardaí to provide support to Irish fans at Olympics and Paralympics

More than 40 gardaí are to be sent to France across the summer months to provide support to Irish fans heading to the Olympics and Paralympics.

More than 40 gardaí are to be sent to France across the summer months to provide support to Irish fans heading to the Olympics and Paralympics.

As athletes gear up to compete in Paris, gardaí are to be posted along with their French counterparts.

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, sought government approval for 56 gardaí to be deployed to France for short periods and specific purposes.

A total of 42 gardaí will be posted to provide support around the Olympic Games, a further 12 will be deployed for the Paralympic Games and finally two gardaí are to be sent for the tourist season.

It comes after gardaí were sent to Disneyland in Paris last year and previously been sent abroad when Ireland competed in soccer competitions.

A spokesperson said it is the "common practice" for a small number of such Garda deployments to be made.

Duties will involve general patrolling, in uniform, in the company of French officers. Their role will be to assist in any interactions with Irish citizens. Experience with these deployments in the past has been very positive.

The Paris Games, which begin with non-medal competition on July 24, will have 329 medal events over 16 days from July 27 to August 11.