The Assistant Commissioner for the Southern Region has denied that Gardaí allowed protestors to board a bus transporting international protection applicants to Magowna House in Inch.
Eileen Foster was responding to the Policing Authority, which has been questioning senior members of An Garda Síochána at its May monthly meeting, about the policing of recent anti-immigrant demonstrations across the country.
Members of the community in Inch manned a blockade outside Magowna House for six days, as part of a peaceful protest aimed at highlighting community concerns over the standard of accommodation being provided at the facility as well as local services.
During the course of the meeting, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said that contrary to reports by some media outlets, services were fully permitted to pass the blockade in Inch within 24 hours of it being put in place.
Asked whether Gardaí permitted protestors to board the bus transporting people to the former hotel on the first day, in order to count them, Assistant Commissioner Eileen Foster said this wasn’t the case.
The full meeting of the Policing Authority can be viewed here.
You can listen to the Assistant Commissioner’s response to the questions raised below.
