Dublin: A man in his 40s is scheduled to appear in Dublin District Court, facing charges related to incidents of criminal damage at several State buildings.
The affected locations include the gates of Government Buildings, the office of the Attorney General, Leinster House, Áras an Uachtaráin, and the Custom House. Earlier, a white transit van was seized, and the man was arrested in the city centre.
The series of attacks commenced early this morning when a transit van was driven into the gates of Áras an Uachtaráin before proceeding to the Custom House, causing minimal damage. The vehicle then continued to Merrion Street, where it collided with Government Buildings, the back entrance to Leinster House, and the Office of the Attorney General, resulting in significant damage to three gates around 2:30 a.m. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Gardaí have preserved the scenes for technical examination and are interviewing witnesses while reviewing CCTV footage along the van’s route. Sinn Féin TDs Pa Daly and Louise O’Reilly have expressed concerns about the incidents and plan to raise questions with senior Gardaí regarding the security breach.
The suspect is known to Gardaí for previous drug-related and other offenses. He is currently receiving medical assistance for mental health and other issues. Gardaí are also investigating several social media accounts linked to the suspect, which contain images of the white transit van, religious iconography, prayers, and threats of violence. While detectives are still determining the motive behind the attacks, terrorism has been ruled out.
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