Councillors raise issue of people congregating around Dundalk Courthouse

Councillor Maeve Yore raised the issue of people congregating around Dundalk Town Centre on court days at Tuesday’s meeting of Dundalk JPC (Joint Policing Committee).

She said that she has received requests to have more Gardai visible on court days around the town centre as she was hearing reports from businesses of more robberies occurring on those days, saying the businesses feel that “nothing is being done.” 

Councillor Kevin Meenan echoed Cllr Yore’s concerns saying that it was particularly bad in the summertime and that “all they are missing is deck chairs and sun loungers,” continuing “there’s a lot of them who don’t need to be there, they’re hanging around and it’s become a congregating point. 

“It is a case of maybe going in and trying to move some of them on because it is intimidating for people to go up near them.”

Inspector John Boyle said that as Dundalk District Court was one of the busiest in the country it presented a challenge on court days, he said increased foot patrols on court days was something that would be looked at.

“It does take a number of gardai to deal with the volume of people,” he said.