Call for armed gardaí to be posted outside the Oireachtas gates
SENIOR officers have urged garda management to consider stationing armed gardaí outside Government buildings amid mounting criticism of the failure to stop a mob from blocking access to the Oireachtas during protests this week.
A source with knowledge of protest policing said gardaí are ‘paralysed’ by oversight and that protesters who threatened politicians and members of the public, and denied their right to freedom of movement, should have been ‘rounded up and brought to court’.
Another senior source admitted the force ‘wouldn’t be able to deal’ with a US Capitol-style attack if it were to happen here.
They told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘There will have to be a Westminster-style approach, with barriers and streets that close at a minute’s notice.
‘We also need to ask do we need armed gardaí in the perimeter, because by the time one or two military police inside realise what is going on, it is too late.
‘Right-wing extremists have been causing concern since 2012. Some of them have convictions, military training and access to firearms. This is a new type of protest and we need to be on top of it,’ the source added.
Another security source echoed calls to consider armed gardaí outside Government buildings, along with ‘protest-focused legislation’ and a dedicated ‘round the clock’ public order unit for Dublin city centre.
‘It was so unpalatable to watch elected parliamentarians being pushed and kicked by thugs. They should have been knocked back, but gardaí are just paralysed now with oversight.
‘These people are dangerous, although their numbers are small. They should have been rounded up and brought to court for breach of the peace at a minimum. You can’t let that situation continue.
‘It wouldn’t have merited the hard hats, but they should have been taken by the scruff of the neck and into a van.’
The source said the response of gardaí at the scene was ‘too passive’. And they added: ‘The forces of law and order need to protect the silent majority, the law-abiding people, and deal with these thugs who are representative of no one.’
Thirteen people were arrested on Wednesday during demonstrations in which a mock gallows with a hanging effigy, and images of several TDs from Government and opposition parties, was erected outside the gates of Leinster House. Politicians, Oireachtas workers and journalists were screamed at as they tried to enter and exit.
Gardaí had to escort some TDs from the area.
Kerry Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae was pushed, shoved and had bottles thrown at him as he was escorted through the ‘volatile’ crowd by two gardaí.
Another senior source said current public order legislation that is relied on to police protests ‘is not fit for purpose’ and that security around Government buildings needs an ‘overhaul’.
‘A few months ago, a teenager broke into Leinster House, and if a juvenile can do that there is a whole issue of national security. It needs a massive overhaul.’
On Friday, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said a review will be carried out to examine security at Leinster House in the wake of the protests.
She has asked Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to conduct a review, focusing on the safety of TDs, senators, political staff and those working at the Oireachtas campus.
Her department officials will examine whether existing legislation is sufficient to deal with ‘intimidation centred on our democratic institutions’.
Ms McEntee said: ‘There has been a noticeable deterioration in the tone and content of some increasingly personalised commentary on political and public affairs, particularly on social media.
‘We saw this aggression and coarseness evident in the disturbing scenes outside Leinster House this week.
‘I am determined to take all steps to ensure this does not develop further.
‘We must also ensure that the small minority who wish to attack democracy do not deter people from participating in politics and engaging in public life,’ she added.
‘Political engagement and vigorous debate are vital to public life and our thriving democracy.’