Rag Week costing Û10,000 a day for additional Garda’

Date Published: {J}

By Darragh McDonagh

Almost €10,000 a day will be spent on Garda reinforcements to combat the anti-social behaviour of student revellers during GMIT Rag Week and avoid a recurrence of last year’s chaos.

Gardaí have promised a high visibility presence outside large city venues and throughout student housing estates this week, as they clamp down on the disorder that resulted in more than 40 arrests last February.

They have also warned students that a zero tolerance policy will be enforced and public order offences that may ordinarily have attracted just a warning under the Adult Cautioning Scheme will now be prosecuted through the courts.

Superintendent Tom Curley revealed that more than €35,000 will be spent on extra Garda resources over the course of the four-day event.

“Huge resources will be put into this week,” he said. “There will be high visibility patrols outside particular premises that can cater for large numbers of students, and there will also be patrols in housing estates with a large student population.”

Superintendent Curley summoned meetings with Students Union representatives and management of GMIT last week. He has also been in contact with members of the Vintners Association of Ireland (VFI).

“I have been in communication with a number of discos that had intended to host foam parties during the day this week,” he said. “They have decided not to go ahead with the parties in the interests of the whole community, which is a great relief to all concerned.”

Superintendent Curley told a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee yesterday that he hoped the measures he had put in place would avoid “the same problems as we had last year”.

The wave of anti-social behaviour that struck the city during Rag Week in 2009 had nearly necessitated putting a riot squad on standby, according to the Superintendent, as more than 40 people were arrested and the Accident and Emergency unit at UHG was inundated with drink-related injuries.

There were widespread reports of intimidation and disturbances throughout the city as a vehicle was overturned, a Garda car came under attack and an elderly man had his walking stick stolen by students.

The Rag Weeks of Galway’s two third-level institutions coincided last year, but NUI Galway’s “College Charity Week” this year takes place between March 8 and 11.