Gardaí to get tasers as Drew Harris faces Oireachtas grilling in wake of Dublin riots
Protesters clash with gardaí during the Dublin riots. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
Ireland is facing a "different sort of disorder" than ever before which will mean stronger pepper spray and 200 tasers for Public Order Unit gardaí, the Garda Commissioner has told politicians.
Drew Harris is appearing before the Oireachtas justice committee on Wednesday and has outlined a timeline of the Garda response to Thursday’s riots in Dublin.
Mr Harris said gardaí will seek to acquire two water cannon themselves and would "evolve its tactics" in dealing with protests and far-right agitations.
He said 38 people have been arrested thus far in relation to the riots last week. He said that gardaí have made 11,000 arrests this year in the centre of the city this year, but could not "arrest and prosecute" its way to a safer city alone.
Mr Harris said that he first warned of the rise of far-right actors in 2019. He said that these people are motivated by "prejudice and hatred". He said that these people are "radicalised online" and "fully believe conspiracy theories".
Senator Lynn Ruane asked Mr Harris if those actors were exploited "communities which have been left behind". She said that use of terms like "thugs" and "scumbags" made it more difficult to win back some of those who joined the protests. The Commissioner said that gardaí do not use those terms, but Ms Ruane pointed out that his own opening statement contained the word "thug".
Asked by Fine Gael's Colm Brophy about his response to calls for his resignation, Mr Harris said bluntly:
Speaking about the riots on Thursday, Mr Harris said that gardaí did not have the resources to "bookend" O'Connell St until 7.30pm on Thursday evening, some 90 minutes after a Luas was first blocked at the north end of the capital's main thoroughfare. However, he denied a charge by Labour's Áodhán O Riordán that gardaí had "lost control" of the streets.
He said that the idea that gardaí were being drafted in by personal text messages from colleagues was "a distortion".
Mr Harris said that gardaí would welcome "clarification" on the level of force allowed in these situations, but said that public order policing tactics had been "adequately deployed". The Labour TD asked Mr Harris why gardaí had only asked for this clarity in the aftermath of last week's riots.
The Commissioner said that "misinformation" and "repeated lies" had increased tension around the city. He said that it would have been "infinitely easier" had gardaí known the riots were going to happen but said that there was "no failure" by those who oversaw the policing response. Fianna Fáil senator Robbie Gallagher asked Mr Harris if there should have been more readiness for some kind of trouble, even if it was not to the level which actually transpired.
Mr Harris told Mr Gallagher that the capital will "absolutely" be adequately policed in the run-up to Christmas.
In an opening statement, the Commissioner said that following the largest ever deployment of public order gardaí, order was restored within hours and argue that in similar situations in other capital cities “normal society [has been] shut down for days”.
But he added there is now a “different form of disorder” and told the committee that “we must evolve our tactics to address this”.
It comes as Justice Minister Helen McEntee is to take Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil on Wednesday. She has come under pressure from Opposition parties as Sinn Féin still considers a motion of no-confidence in the minister.
Mr Harris also said there will be more gardaí given public order training in addition to the 100 added to the public order unit in Dublin this year.
“We will be providing gardaí with even stronger incapacitant spray and more personal safety equipment.”
He also acknowledged the criticism around Garda approaches to the far-right, saying he has been involved in “extremely volatile situations”.
“I know that at times the use of the full extent of our powers is required when all other options have been exhausted”, he said defending the “graduated response” with the use of force as a last resource.
Mr Harris said the Garda investigation into the stabbing of the children and their carer is progressing and the force is not looking for anyone else in relation to the crime.
“It is terrible that a minority then corrupted the suffering of others in an attempt to further their narrow-minded and vicious agenda. They should be truly ashamed for this and the destruction they caused,” he said.
Mr Harris later told politicians he did not contact Justice Minister Helen McEntee to inform her of the stabbing. He said he was told about the stabbing just after 2pm, but said his first responsibility was not to inform the minister.
Sinn Féin TD Louise O'Reilly pressed Mr Harris on what time he first spoke to Ms McEntee, but the Commissioner said he would "have to defer". He said the two had met at 8pm at the Department of Justice but believed he had been in contact with Ms McEntee's department.
He said that he "had so much on his mind" and could not give a precise time to the committee.
The Garda’s National Bureau of Criminal Investigation is examining social media and other serious public order incidents. Mr Harris provided a timeline to the justice committee on how gardaí responded following the stabbing last Thursday.
He said gardaí were immediately deployed, followed by a 25-strong public order unit at 2pm. A small, spontaneous anti-immigration protest took place peacefully at the Garden of Rememberence at 3.35pm but at 4.30pm, a group blocked the Luas.
At 5.40pm, a large number of people around 200 charged towards gardaí and attacked them physically and verbally, damaging Garda vehicles. Mr Harris said some of the group sought to “break through” the crime scene cordon at Parnell Square, but they were repelled by gardaí.
This was followed by “fire attacks” at around 6.30pm, then criminal damage and looting began, as fireworks were thrown at gardaí. By this time, there was “already a significant Garda presence” in the city. And by 7pm, more gardaí arrived but the numbers involved in rioting “had grown considerably in this short time”.
By 8pm, there were 250 gardaí in the “largest ever public order deployment”, with a total of 400 in the city centre. Mr Harris told politicians that calm was largely restored to the city centre by 10pm and full order was restored by 11.30pm.
He said “routine and necessary” policing continued throughout the Dublin Metropolitan Region.
