14 PEOPLE WERE arrested in Dublin yesterday after another day of discord between gardaí and people gathering outdoors in the city centre.
No injuries to gardaí were reported in Dublin on Sunday.
Of the 14 people arrested, three were juveniles who were released and referred to the Juvenile Diversion Programme.
Seven people were charged with court proceedings to follow, while four received an adult caution.
In Cork, where gardaí said the city centre was “relatively calm”, eight people were arrested for public order offences.
In a statement, An Garda Síochána said that “large numbers of people gathered throughout Dublin City Centre socialising responsibly and enjoying outdoor amenities in Dublin City Centre”.
“An Garda Síochána put in place an extensive high visibility policing operation by uniform Gardaí supported by Public Order Units,” the statement said.
“Based on public safety concerns and sporadic public order incidents Gardaí on occasions engaged with crowds in Stephen’s Green, Temple Bar and South William Street,” gardaí said.
“Gardaí encountered significant numbers of groups of youths (teenage and younger adults) who were loitering around the city centre, not involved in outdoor dining/ socialising.”
Gardaí in Cork “patrolled major amenities in the city during the day and continued to engage with local residents and businesses”.
“The city centre remained relatively calm through the evening with no significant incidents reported,” gardaí said.
“At 11pm, following a public order incident, a decision was taken to disperse persons from Kennedy Quay,” they said.
“In total, eight people were arrested for public order offences across Cork city, three directly related to incidents in Cork City centre.”
Large gatherings in city centres, and the garda response, has divided public opinion in recent weeks.
Yesterday, Minister Eamon Ryan has said that public order incidents like the ones in Dublin city centre over the weekend should be managed in a more “thought-through way”.
Speaking to RTÉ’s This Week, the minister said the scenes in the city centre were “deeply regrettable”.
It’s hoped that the return of outdoor dining today may hope to reduce the size of crowds.
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