DUBLIN: The government has agreed to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan’s request to deploy army to help with security at Dublin Airport.
Passengers have experienced serious issues at security in recent weeks. Several flights had to be cancelled due to delays in checking.
The Dublin Airport Authority said the airport is currently operating satisfactorily but that conditions could change at any time. The DAA is concerned about the risk of a Covid-19 surge among its staff and requested that the Government put in place contingency planning.
Members of the Defence Forces can assist the DAA after receiving basic training. The measure is for the busy summer period and will not extend beyond August.
Chief Executive of DAA Dalton Philips, told the media that “there is a fifth wave of Covid coming down the line. 23,000 people were affected last week.” Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time, Mr Philips said: “We are going into a very busy period.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has vowed to do everything possible to facilitate the operation of Dublin Airport. He said that there could be a role for Defence Forces to assist at the security entry points on the perimeter of the airport where vehicles enter.