COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF JOINT POLICING COMMITTEE

Friday, November 21, 2008

QUESTION NO.

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor, TD

To ask the Manager to present a report on the success of efforts to curtail vandalism in respect of the recent Halloween Bonfire Season; will he detail actions taken in the matter and will he make a statement.

REPLY:

A major policing operation involving all Tallaght policing units was put into place throughout Tallaght on Halloween night and in the preceding week to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Community Policing Unit at Tallaght Garda Station worked closely with South Dublin County Council, representatives from the community and Dublin Bus management and unions to ensure that anti-social behaviour was kept to a minimum over the Halloween festival. 

A major operation was also put into place on Halloween to both remove bonfire material and to make built bonfires as safe as possible.  A Garda public order van accompanied a South Dublin County Council work crew until 9pm that night.  Bonfires that were a potential risk were removed and many others had dangerous materials such as tyres removed.

Tallaght Community Gardaí worked closely with Dublin Bus management and patrolled on Dublin Bus vehicles to ensure that the service was maintained and that staff and passengers were kept safe.  For the second year in a row bus services were maintained at normal levels and there were no major incidents.

Tallaght Community Gardaí worked with South Dublin County Council to arrange and police a ‘Designated Bonfire’ at Drumcairn estate in West Tallaght.  The bonfire, which was the third of its kind, passed off without any incident.  There has only been one arrest at the Designated Bonfire over the last three years.

Garda Management in Terenure met with public representatives in the Orwell Estate Area of Templeogue prior to Halloween. Close liaison was maintained with Council Officials. A large number of Gardai policed the Orwell area on Halloween night.

The Halloween night passed off peacefully without major incident.