Gardaí defends the surveillance of large concentrations during Covid-19

THE GARDA COMMISSIONER has defended police surveillance of house parties and social gatherings amid the pandemic.

Drew Harris warned against “serious escalation” of the garda’s powers when it came to breaking up private house parties.

Video footage of large numbers of young people gathering on the streets near Spanish Arch in Galway and at the Oliver Bond compound in Dublin in recent weeks has drawn criticism of the Garda’s enforcement of public health regulations.

The Commissioner was questioned on the matter today by the Police Authority.

Harris said it had been “difficult” and there was “no simple answer” because people have constitutional rights in terms of protecting the home.

“We do our best within our powers to deal with the event… ..and to end the party by persuasion.

“That may not satisfy some of the public concern regarding that, but starting to move forward in terms of entering a house to break up a party is a serious escalation in terms of our enforcement powers.

“It is a path in which we must be very careful before going down.”

He said members of the Gardaí in Galway had attended the scene at the Claddagh Basin across the river from the Spanish Arch and were a “visible and substantial presence” but also had to deal with a significant number of house parties at the Galway metropolitan area. at the same time.

“It was irresponsible behavior by individuals in terms of what was organized,” he said.

“But these issues are not easy in current health regulations.”

He said that the Gardaí’s presence at the scene had the effect of “clouding the whole atmosphere” of the event and that they had encouraged people to return to their residences.

“We have a regulatory provision in terms of who could organize such an event,” he said.

“But when there are indeed people congregating on social media, it’s very difficult to point a finger at a person and say ‘you’re the one who organized that.”

He added that when they can identify a definitive organizer of the event, the Gardai are in a position to investigate and report that person to the DPP.

Moling Ryan from the Police Authority said they had received comments that, in regards to the handling of the garda of the meeting at the Oliver Bond compound, “a period of time had elapsed” since the problem was reported to gardai and when they arrived on the scene. .

Commissioner Harris said Garda’s understanding of Oliver Bond’s event “was somewhat different from what was reported.”

Deputy Commissioner John Twomey said: “At first, the behavior did not cut through that divide in non-compliance with legislation and non-compliance with the law.

“It was just a later point and once later in the evening when the numbers had increased … that some of the behavior became unacceptable and then we fixed it.”

“I would not entirely agree that it was an inappropriate response,” added Twomey.