A man was taken into custody for allegedly attempting to take down the Palestinian flag from the railings at Leinster House but has since been released on bail with strict instructions to steer clear of all governmental establishments. This occurrence unfolded just before six in the evening on Tuesday on the Merrion Square side of the complex.
The individual was seen escalating the barrier and attempting to cross the Leinster House lawn towards the recently erected flag, which signifies Ireland’s official acknowledgment of Palestine as a state, by Gardaí and Oireachtas security personnel.
Dublin 12’s Paul Whelan, 39, was detained, charged and proceeded to Judge Patricia Cronin at Dublin District Court the following day. Garda Conor Dineen mentioned in his testimony that the defendant “remained silent” after being charged.
His offence includes an alleged burglary by intrusion with an aim to commit an act in the Leinster House private gardens. If the defendant abided by several conditions, including strict avoidance of all government buildings, there was no objection to releasing him on bail.
Evan Moore, the defence solicitor, laid out the facts to his client but did not address the court directly. The defendant agreed to the outlined terms. When queried if he had to visit any governmental building by Judge Cronin, his solicitor initially noted a social welfare office, but later clarified that payments are directly transferred to his bank account and hence, his presence was not necessary.
To avoid a technical violation of bail, Judge Cronin asked these questions. She reiterated the conditions and reminded him to abstain from accessing all government buildings whilst also providing his mobile telephone number to gardaí to establish constant communication.
While living at a Dublin 2 address, the court learned that he must inform the gardaí of any changes. His plea is not yet known, and his bail bond was fixed at €200 with another appearance in court scheduled for July 10th.
The defendant, according to his defence solicitor, was on social welfare and owned no assets, so legal aid was granted. The Director of Public Prosecutions must provide guiding principles for the proceedings.