Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue today. I am glad to speak on a topic of concern for many public representatives, both local and national, and for people from the Galway area, as outlined by the Deputy. I spoke this afternoon to members of An Garda Síochána in Galway about the recent event in Salthill and events that may be planned for this weekend or other future dates. I also have spoken to the Galway city manager about this event. While the Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for all policing matters, I am reassured that a policing plan is in place in anticipation of another Salthill Sunday event, if required.

Local members of the Garda are also monitoring social media and will tailor any operations for this weekend or any other weekends as needed. Extra gardaí will be on duty around the city and in Salthill this weekend and they also will be carrying out spot checks.

Those of us from Galway are aware that these recent gatherings have understandably led to significant local concern. On Sunday last, a large number of vehicles gathered in Salthill village and Galway city as part of a Salthill Sunday event. Gardai from Salthill and Galway, together with resources from the divisional roads policing unit, implemented an operation for the management of the event. The public service vehicle inspector for the Galway division was also on duty. The Garda has informed me that 80 road traffic offences were detected by the roads policing unit and by uniformed members on duty at the event and that these will be actioned accordingly with fixed-charge penalty notices or summonses, as appropriate.

While An Garda Síochána has confirmed that there were no public order incidents of note, it has confirmed that the gathering of a large number of vehicles caused disruption to traffic. I fully appreciate the frustration which local people feel about any anti-social behaviour which there may have been around this event, and the concerns they may have in respect of future events.

I have been reassured today by An Garda Síochána in the Galway division that it will enforce legislation and ensure any breaches of legislation are prosecuted as they arise.

It is also important to note that the Garda is continuing to provide enhanced support to the public health effort to combat Covid-19. In this context, we are continuing to appeal to the public to avoid large gatherings and crowds at this time. Personal responsibility and compliance with the public health measures that remain in place continue to be key in minimising opportunities for the virus to spread.

I fully appreciate and it is important to say that in normal times, car enthusiasts may wish to gather and enjoy the company of like-minded people but I would ask that everyone adhere to the public health regulations and I appeal to the organisers of such events to consider the impact they are having on the local population in Salthill. I also ask people to refrain from meeting in large numbers and to follow the continuing public health advice and the necessary restrictions As our society and economy re-opens, we are also being asked to socialise outdoors and to make the most of our community spaces. With that in mind, all of us have a responsibility to residents in places such as Salthill to be respectful when we gather outdoors. I appreciate how difficult the past 15 months have been for everyone and how many sacrifices people have made to maximise our collective safety against Covid-19. I join all Deputies in welcoming the freedoms that have been restored in recent weeks. However, we are all called upon now to ensure that we can enjoy the outdoors as safely as possible and that we all take responsibility for our own actions.

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