State Visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh: 17-20 May 2011
The Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, has thanked the public for their continued cooperation and assistance with arrangements for the State visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh this week.
Speaking ahead of the commencement of the visit, the Garda Commissioner said:
"An Garda Síochána has been planning for this week’s visit for some time and we have put a comprehensive policing and security plan in place. As part of that operation we have been calling to businesses and homes in key locations and we have encountered both goodwill and cooperation. The help and support that we have received from the community to date has been very important and we look forward to their continued assistance in the days ahead."
Acknowledging that the security operation will, of necessity, involve some inconvenience and disruption to people’s daily lives, the Commissioner said:
"We are working to ensure that the nature and scale of our policing and security operation is proportionate to the need to protect everyone’s safety. Our objective is to share as much information with the public as we can, within the obvious security constraints and we will ensure that any security measures are not in place for a minute longer than they are required.
As well as thanking the community, including businesses, I want to express my gratitude to our colleagues across a range of partner agencies, including the Defence Forces, local and other civic authorities and the public transport companies. Their contribution to the preparations for this week and their ongoing assistance is greatly appreciated."
