THE GARDA COMMISSIONER has declared the visit of US President Donald Trump an “extraordinary event” due to the scale of the policing operation.

It is anticipated, although not fully confirmed yet, that the US Presidential visit will begin in Dublin on 12 September and that Trump spend a short few hours in the city meeting dignitaries and the US ambassador Edward Walsh. 

It is believed that he may visit President Catherine Connolly, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and could also call to the new US Embassy site in Ballsbridge. 

That evening it is anticipated he will get back on Air Force One and fly to Shannon Airport where he will then travel by helicopter to his golf resort in Doonbeg, which is due to host the Irish Open.

As revealed by The Journal the US organisers are scrambling to find hotel rooms for a potential entourage of 1,000 people, many of whom will be US security officers. 

The US authorities are not the only officials under pressure as An Garda Síochána has been planning the visit for some months. 

The problem for garda planners is that the event will be spread across the country and will require thousands of gardaí to secure. 

It is understood that Commissioner Justin Kelly told gardaí across the country this morning that they will be required to work as part of the major operation between 9 September and 13 September.

An extraordinary event means that garda rest days and annual leave requests will be curtailed.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has previously warned that, due to the EU Presidency, that there is a risk of burnout for garda members because of the classification of extraordinary and exceptional events. 

This will include specially trained members of the Public Order Unit and armed units as well as other specially trained gardaí.  

Sources have said that the US Secret Service make a number of demands on local police forces when a US President visits – this includes a large amount of extra officers who, more often than not, will not be required.

One of the major challenges is to police multiple locations, including places where protesters will congregate like at Shannon Airport, Doonbeg and across Dublin city.  

The gardaí will also be needed to take up posts along the shoreline of the Atlantic around the golf course. 

The area around the links will have to be secured for several days before the actual event. This is because search teams secure locations and essentially declare them “sterile”. 

Trump is anticipated to attend the prize giving at the golf event and that will require a large number of gardaí for crowd control reasons.

A garda spokeswoman said:”An Garda Síochána does not comment on or speculate about operational matters”.