Dail security has been ramped-up in the wake of recent Far Right protests, a bomb threat and a perimeter breach by a protester.
The changes include new armed officers working in the Convention Centre and changed patrol routes around the perimeter of Leinster House to catch out those trying to spot routine.
Threats of a march on the Dail from Far Right campaigners for St Patrick’s Day this week led to an impressive ring of steel being erected around the streets with access to Leinster House and Government Buildings.
There was no chance of anyone getting near the buildings with roads closed and gardai manning barricades on Kildare Street, Merrion Square and St Stephen’s Green.
St Patrick’s Day was a one-off, but the Irish Mirror has learned general security has been stepped up.
Measures include new routes for armed officer patrols around the buildings of the Leinster House campus, around Government Buildings on Merrion Street and Agriculture House next door to the Oireachtas’ home in Leinster House.
Changes have also been introduced across the Liffey at Convention Centre Dublin too, where the Dail now sits two days a week, with more undercover armed gardai roaming the inside and outside of the huge building.
This group of officers, who haven’t worked the Dail beat before, are attached to the nearby Store Street Garda station.
While the Garda would not comment, a senior Oireachtas source with a security brief told Dublin Live: “You can see that the gardai have changed their MO [modus operandi] lately.
“For instance, I notice they aren’t on the same patrol routes that they were, they’ve mixed it up, that’s a tactical move to thwart anyone trying to work out patterns.
“And as for the Convention Centre, the place is crawling with new gardai.”
Two recent security events may have prompted the security refresh.
On January 19 a man was arrested after jumping the perimeter at the Merrion Square entrance to the building.
The complex went into a temporary lockdown before the intruder was apprehended by ushers.
Senator Malcolm Byrne was in the area at the time and he told the Irish Mirror the man shouted, “The revolution is coming” at him before he was caught.
Just a few days before this breach, on January 15, Leinster House and Government Buildings were briefly rocked by a bomb threat.
The package bomber phoned in and is believed to have said: “I’m going to blow up Government Buildings.”
A Garda emergency response team was immediately deployed, the buildings were searched and no suspect device was found.
