Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Dublin for a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Government Buildings, ahead of two major EU presidency events this week.
Zelensky was greeted by Martin on Wednesday evening, with the two men shaking hands and exchanging greetings before briefly stopping for pictures and moving inside.
Major EU Events and Security Operation
His arrival comes amid the biggest security operation in the history of the Irish state, as authorities mount a ring of steel throughout the capital. Traffic restrictions and road closures in Dublin are to be brought in from Wednesday, with commuters warned of severe traffic delays.
More than 50 world leaders will visit Dublin for the European Political Community (EPC) summit on Thursday, followed by an informal meeting of the EU Council on Friday. Both events will take place at the Convention Centre on the North Wall Quay, followed by a dinner event at the National Gallery on the south side of the city.
Policing and Security Measures
Vast barriers have been placed around the area, preventing access to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Exclusion zones have also been set up for air and maritime as world leaders descend on the city. The security operation will see thousands of gardaí deployed throughout the city, with 100 specially trained motorcycle escort officers performing a minimum of 200 movements of VIPs, including heads of state.
Gardaí will take part in 15,000 rolling 12-hour shifts and have drafted in officers from Northern Ireland, Latvia and Portugal. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said there will be approximately 500 public order-trained Garda members along with 500 officers of various disciplines, some of whom will carry firearms in various tactical roles in the form of emergency response and close protection. Equipment including water cannon, public order dogs and horses will also be available.
Traffic Disruption and Protests
The extensive road closures will come into force on Wednesday and run through until late on Friday, with security cordons and public diversions in place. Transport chiefs expect every bus route in the capital to be affected by knock-on traffic disruption, and they have asked people to consider if their plans in Dublin on Thursday and Friday are necessary.
Real-time information on arriving buses will not be available on display boards at stops but will still be accessible through apps, the National Transport Authority said, advising people to check its website for all information on route changes.
Kelly said there will be a zero-tolerance approach to protests which block infrastructure or interfere with the running of the major EU events. “In relation to fuel protests themselves, there’ll be absolutely no toleration for any blockage, anything in the next few days, anything around motorways, critical infrastructure, or any of the EPC locations,” he added.
Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Roberts said he is aware of some people wishing to protest over Thursday and Friday. “We have engaged with a number of parties, and I would ask that anybody that is minded and that wants to protest to engage with An Garda Síochána, and we will facilitate lawful, peaceful protest,” he added. “We have nothing to suggest that any protest that is planned will be anything other than peaceful. As the commissioner has already said, there will be no tolerance for any protest which involves the blocking of roads, obstruction of any aspect of the event will be dealt with swiftly and robustly, and there will certainly be no tolerance of any interference with critical infrastructure.”
