Since the implementation of Level 5 restrictions at the end of December, there have been 21 instances of members of the public breaking guidelines by meeting up in groups to play sport at UCD. These individuals refused to comply with instructions from security staff to leave the sporting facilities and on six occasions the Gardaí were called.
UCD is taking steps to prevent breaches of the Coronavirus guidelines. Some of the measures in place include active monitoring of the sports pitches through CCTV, vehicle patrols, and foot patrols.
UCD’s Reaction
The College Tribune reached out to the University to ask about the steps taken when members of the public are discovered breaching guidelines on campus pitches. They responded that “When a group is discovered by security staff they are approached and reminded of Public Health guidance around exercise and sporting events in line with Level 5 restrictions. Typically members of the public comply with this guidance.”
When describing the events of the last couple of months, a spokesperson for UCD said that “Each of these instances was escalated to the Campus Duty Manager who directed available resources to the area concerned to ensure that social distancing was observed.”
However, at times certain members of the public are not willing to cooperate with the UCD authorities. “In 6 of these cases, the Campus Duty Manager contacted Donnybrook Garda Station to request assistance intervention”.
This issue is predicted to become more common in the coming months as the weather improves, however, the spokesperson for UCD mentioned that the University has increased the presence of security throughout the campus to prevent further illegal gatherings.
Emer Nolan, Reporter
