Castle Saunderson considered to house G8 security
Seamus Enright
The international Scouting Centre at Castle Saunderson has been approached to house An Garda Siochana members drafted to the region to bulk up security efforts south of the border during the G8 meeting of world leaders in Fermanagh next month, The Celt can confirm.
With less than a month to go, accommodation space along the border is at a premium. The Anglo-Celt first reported the American entourage following US President Barack Obama during his visit are to stay at The Slieve Russell, Ballyconnell, while many other local hotels, and those across the north-west have been block-booked for the week of the world economic summit.
Now the focus is being placed on security and other back-up services, and with Dun Ui Neill Barracks now considered unsuitable since its handover for educational purposes to the county VEC and Cavan Institute, other possible locations have had to be considered to house the extra garda man-power brought in to help police the event.
A collaborative venture between Cavan County Council and Scouting Ireland, the €5m 73-acre Castle Saunderson has been developed as a 1,000 person All-Ireland jamboree site with a 64-person five-star hostel facilities attached.
Other accommodation facilities are also being considered with garda representatives contacting local property agents across the district with a view to sourcing added accommodation.
It is expected up to 300 gardai from across the country will be drafted to the region to assist in bolstering existing security levels. They join the 3,600 police officers being relocated from Britain to aid existing G8 police presence in the North. Meanwhile the security firm that failed to provide enough guards for the London Olympics, G4S, has also been hired by the British government to provide further security support.
A marine security management plan has been put in place, and its reported an unmanned aerial drone and helicopters will be available to provide aerial security coverage.
Signals
Meanwhile, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter is to rush through new legislation which could see thousands of mobile customers in the region left without connection as a preventative measure to stop terrorists using mobile phones to detonate bombs.
The new law will allow gardai, when needed, to order telecom companies to shut off signals which might otherwise be used to set off a bomb.
In revealing the plan last week, Minister Shatter used the Boston bombing as a recent example. Up until now, it is understood gardai could only request mobile companies as a goodwill gesture. This will now put the request on a legal footing and the measure will be included as an amendment to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Bill.
'It is possible that terrorist groups may try to use the occasion of the summit to, at the very least, garner publicity for themselves', the Minister said.
Near to the Lough Erne Golf Resort, where the G8 summit is to take place, work is to begin on installing security fencing around the host venue ahead of the meeting. This will see a section of the Shore Road between Beleek and Enniskillen closed off from June 1 until June 26, to also enable the fence to be dismantled following the summit’s close on June 18.
Police have said it is impossible to predict the number of people or groups intending on carrying out protests during the summit, but say only a small number would be intent on causing trouble.