GARDAÍ HAVE SAID that they have received no report of an incident of attempted child abduction, nor have they received any information to substantiate such claims, following public order incidents in Finglas last night.

They said that suggestions of an inappropriate approach to children and attempted child abduction led to a number of public order incidents on Cappagh Road and Cardiffsbridge Road in the Finglas area Dublin on Sunday evening.

A post made on a Facebook group claimed that “two foreign men grabbed a child” in the area, and that residents had made this known to the Gardaí, who failed to respond.

The Gardaí have said that this is false.

“An Garda Síochána is very conscious of the volume of misinformation, disinformation and fake news circulating on this incident, and in general, particularly on social media and direct messaging platforms.

“An Garda Síochána appeals to all members of the public and the media to independently verify any information published on social media and/or messaging apps,” said a spokesperson.

They also said that under Section 7 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, “An Garda Síochána is the sole agency invested with the statutory role of preserving peace and public order.

“It is also An Garda Síochána’s statutory role to investigate crime and enforce enacted legislation.

“An Garda Síochána urge anyone with information relating to any crime to immediately report it for it to be thoroughly investigated by Gardaí,” said a spokesperson.