The operation was unavoidable because of the potential threat posed by splinter and dissident republican groups, says minister
THE MASSIVE security operation that has prevented Queen Elizabeth from doing walkabouts or engaging more with the public has been described as unfortunate but necessary by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.
Mr Shatter said yesterday that the security operation mounted by gardaí and by the Defence Forces was unprecedented in its scale and its intensity, but was unavoidable because of the potential threat posed by splinter and dissident republican groups.
“It’s unfortunate for the visit of a neighbour with which we have such a close association that it’s necessary to mount a security operation of this intensity,” he said.
“I think its unfortunate that the many thousands of people in Dublin who would have liked to have been more part of what happened – to be close at the Garden of Remembrance and see the Queen as she drove from different locations – did not have an opportunity to do this.
“This is the consequence of having a small minority of individuals in this country who do not accept the democratic will of the Irish people, who reject the vote of 85 per cent of people on the Good Friday agreement and are intent on continuing a campaign of threat, and murder where possible,” Mr Shatter told Newstalk Radio.
The Queen’s four-day visit to Ireland has involved the biggest security operation ever mounted by the State, with some 8,000 gardaí and 2,000 Defence Forces personnel on duty.
Well over half of the entire Garda force of 14,000 has been involved in the policing operation, which has necessitated all leave being cancelled.
The policing operation has been based on high visibility, large Garda numbers and access restrictions. The security operation is said to be more extensive than the one planned for the visit of US president Barack Obama next week.
British foreign secretary William Hague said that notwithstanding the high security operation, the reality was that the royal visit had been very warmly received by the public.
Speaking on RTÉ, he said it was a inevitable that there would be a “tiny minority” who would be dissatisfied with the arrival of a visiting head of state. “The press here has reflected the reality of it. The warmth felt towards the visit is very striking. We are able to see that from members of the public to a certain extent,” he said.
“There will always be a minority for almost every head of state who are dissatisfied. The appetite is there in both countries to move on to an exciting future. It is so strong that we can say to that minority that we are moving on,” he said.
A spokesman for Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that he was satisfied with the operation that had been mounted, which reflected the assessment of the threat made made by the Garda.
A British government source said such a high-level security operation was inevitable.
He noted: “There are a small group of troublemakers which would take advantage if there was not a proper security presence. The protection of the monarch is the first priority. The assessment of the threat and details of the operation are done by the host country, in partnership.
“The Garda Síochána approach was based on manpower and restrictions of access. Allowing free access would have led to security problems.
“In an ideal world they would like more public engagement.
“Having said that, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were pleasantly surprised at the receptiveness of the public in the streets,” he said.
The British source said that the threat posed by dissident republican groups had risen in recent weeks and the language of some of their members had become more inflamed.
Mr Shatter also pointed to a number of events in recent weeks that had justified the level of the security operation. He instanced the fact that 20 individuals had been charged with public order offences.
