Man arrested after Irish Government Buildings’ gates damaged in van incident

A man has been arrested after a van drove into several gates at Irish Government Buildings in Dublin. Gardai are also investigating an incident of criminal damage at Dublin’s Phoenix Park where the official residence of Ireland’s President, Michael D Higgins, is located. The gates of the president’s residence at Aras an Uachtarain were cordoned off on Friday morning.

At Government Buildings there is significant damage to a number of the gates, including those at the Department of the Taoiseach. A gate at the Attorney General’s office was lying off its hinges. It is understood the man was arrested at the scene. A damaged white van was towed away from the area at around 8.20am.

Garda commissioner Drew Harris was seen observing the damage in a Garda car driven slowly past Government Buildings shortly before 10am. Garda said: “Gardai were alerted to a single-vehicle road traffic collision on Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2 at approximately 2.30am on Friday August 2. “The driver of the vehicle, a male in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of offences under the Road Traffic Act. He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Dublin city. “The scene remains preserved to facilitate a technical examination by the local scenes of crime unit this morning. “Investigations are ongoing.” They added: “Gardai are also investigating an incident of criminal damage that occurred at Dublin’s Phoenix Park in the early hours of Friday.”

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