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The Gardaí shut down 35 student house parties and arrested five people as part of a police scheme surrounding Freshers Week at the University of Limerick.
A meeting of the Limerick joint police committee heard that 35 off-campus house parties have been closed in the Castletroy area since last Sunday over coronavirus concerns.
More than 30 people attended each of the parties, Gardaí said. They issued 70 fines, including 45 for alcohol consumption and 25 for illegal parking.
Five people were arrested for public order / trespassing. Two of them were charged by Gardaí and three were reprimanded.
Gardaí conducted a total of 52 additional patrols in the area, which also resulted in three minor drug seizures.
Thirty antisocial conduct order warning notices were issued during the week-long operation.
The head of the Limerick Garda Division, Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche, said Gardaí was working closely with UL to specifically focus on house parties.
Henry Street Garda Station Superintendent Brian Sugrue said UL President Kerstin Mey had accompanied Gardaí.
A spokesperson for Ms. Mey said that she and “members of UL’s senior leadership have engaged in nightly walking tours of local housing estates along with An Garda Síochána this week.
“This is done to interact with students, educate them on public health guidelines, and to emphasize a cooperative approach in protecting the community surrounding the campus in light of the Covid-19 situation.”
When asked if house parties had been discovered on the University of Limerick campus, a UL spokesperson replied: “Nothing has been reported at this time.”
Ms. Mey’s spokesperson reminded students that action can be taken against them.
“There is no established sanction within the code of conduct for any offense, but the sanctions allowed within the code of conduct include monetary, academic, suspension and expulsion.”
During the first week of the quarter, UL “has not yet processed any complaints involving UL students who may have violated the University’s code of conduct,” the spokesperson said.
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