Political leaders are attending two major EU presidency events in Dublin on Thursday and Friday, and the city has been placed under an extensive security operation. A widespread security zone surrounds the Convention Centre on the north side of the capital, where vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists are prohibited from entering. Air and maritime exclusion zones have also been established, and the largest temporary restricted airspace flight restriction is in place across Dublin until Saturday, including restrictions on drones.
The operation is described as the largest policing and security effort ever mounted by An Garda Síochána, larger than any previous US presidential visit. Every Garda member is involved, either directly policing the events in Dublin or indirectly in local communities across the country. Over a 72-hour period from Thursday to Saturday, more than 15,000 12-hour shifts will be worked and more than 35,000 hot meals provided. Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty said 5,000 gardaí are deployed across the city, spanning frontline and plain-clothes officers, special detectives, public order units, a drone unit, a helicopter, horses, dogs and water units.S1
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said around 500 public order-trained Garda members and 500 officers trained in firearms to protect heads of state are on duty. About 100 specially trained motorcycle escort officers will bring VIPs from Dublin Airport and Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel into the city. Geraghty said heads of state were arriving at the Convention Centre every 90 seconds to be met by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, with around 50 heads of state to be kept safe in the city centre.S1S2
The Garda force acquired a new fleet of motorcycles, patrol cars and vans, as well as new motorcycle and public order uniforms and equipment, all of which will remain available for everyday policing after the event. Gardaí also purchased up-to-date counter-drone detection and mitigation systems. The operation, which came into effect on Tuesday, has disrupted people who live, work and study around the Convention Centre and the National Gallery, as well as routes between Dublin Airport, Baldonnel and several city hotels.S1
The gathering opened with the Taoiseach offering a translation of the Irish word 'meitheal', a term for communal cooperation, as the European summit began. Gardaí have thanked the public for their support while acknowledging that an operation of this size inconveniences residents and causes problems for some people.S1S2
