In November 2010, approximately 50 anti-austerity demonstrators breached the gates of Government Buildings, demanding that the Taoiseach step down. Chaos ensued within as security staff were unsure of how to respond. Most of the protesters were affiliated with Sinn Féin, , and although their anger was palpable, they didn’t appear to represent a mortal risk.
However, the responsibilities of the soldiers and members of gardaí were clear – their job was to prevent the protesters from reaching the Government Buildings including the Taoiseach’s Office.
In the event the protesters succeeded in their assault, the military police entrusted with the task of protection would have had to depend on their batons, and, if ineffective, resort to delivering warning shots.
There was no alternative. “We didn’t have any non-lethal gear,” revealed a source from security. Their resources didn’t extend beyond their sidearms. They had no weapons capable of mitigating an attack without inflicting potentially fatal injuries, like bean bag rounds or stun guns.
The security personnel were caught off-guard by the protest. There was a lack of intelligence briefing that day and consequently confusion over who was meant to be leading the effort to deter the protestors.
This event was not withstanding the numerous warnings received prior about insufficient security from military personnel over the years, with the complex having experienced several serious breaches in the past.
Earlier in the same month, a man was apprehended after forcefully ramming the gates of Áras an Uachtaráin, the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of the Taoiseach with a van. Similarly in 2014, a 19-year-old was taken into custody on the Oireachtas campus, where he was found to be carrying a sword and numerous knives. He disclosed to gardaí his intention to enact a “one-man rebellion”.
In 2021, Leinster House, a major government site, experienced a serious security breach by a notorious far-right extremist known for making violent threats towards government personnel. He managed to trespass undetected onto the premises before being apprehended. Other past incidents include a late-night break-in by a youngster in June of the same year, who vandalised a preserved 1916 Proclamation document.
Politicians are increasingly under threat, with occurrences of bomb scares focused on residences of Justice Ministers and the Taoiseach becoming more frequent. There has also been an uptick in protests outside their homes. Security operatives working at Leinster House and adjourning areas, have repeatedly pointed out flaws in coordination between protective agencies as a significant issue. These concerns have even been officially expressed through letter correspondence to superiors.
The responsibility of maintaining security currently falls under the jurisdiction of Gardaí, Leinster House sergeants, and a military police entity, but there is a noticeable lack of sharing of relevant intelligence or organising joint briefings. There is ambiguity surrounding who is permitted to utilise deadly force within the campus.
Rules regarding the use of force by the Defence Forces, as detailed in a document known as COD 6, prohibit armed soldiers from working in conjunction with armed Gardaí to evade any potential confusion and avoid an in-house shooting incident. However, in the vicinity of Leinster House and Government Buildings, there are allegations of regular breaches of this rule, with armed detectives assigned to protect ministers operating side by side with armed soldiers.
Military police have also voiced their grievances regarding the lack of crucial security information about the Taoiseach’s presence on site. The military police are stationed near the Taoiseach’s office and have a hidden passage to his office, which they could use to whisk him away securely during emergencies. But there have been instances of uncertainty regarding whether the duty of safely evacuating him rests with the Gardaí or the military police. Furthermore, because they are deemed ‘alarmist’, exercises for scenarios such as bomb alerts or an intruder actively causing harm on the premises are not systematically undertaken, according to an undisclosed security source.
The state of the guardroom has been a significant point of dispute in recent past. People have even labelled it as “Soviet-era” and unfit for its intended use. A few years back, the soldiers voiced their dissent to the higher-ups when they found out that the government staff were utilising the guardroom for yoga and circuit exercises during lunch hours.
A military correspondent quoted, “They require access from us and perform their workout under our watch. It’s uncomfortable.”
There have been voiced apprehensions about the robustness of the complex’s gates too. Some were only supported by the digital device operated to open or shut them. Although some enhancements to the gates have been undertaken lately, no action has yet been taken on the suggestions to ensure a constant armed entity on the Kildare Street side of the complex.
There had been concerns raised by the military police regarding their gear too. For a long time, soldiers who were designated to the complex were provided only with sidearms and were needed to be in their official attire whilst on duty. They were prohibited from possessing any weaponry.
Lately, however, the officers have begun to carry sidearms and the soldiers have started gearing up in camouflages. Modern sightless rifles have been incorporated into the arsenal but are not to be carried on duty. Even though they are technically accessible during emergencies, they are missing the modern optics that come with the standard Steyr rifle of the Defence Forces.
When contacted for comments, the spokesperson for the Houses of the Oireachtas confirmed their earlier policy, that is ” not to comment on matters of security.”