A number of bomb threats identified at Government buildings on Friday afternoon have been deemed as hoaxes and the areas have been declared safe, gardaí have said.
On Friday, a number of Government buildings were evacuated following security alerts. It is understood both the Department of Justice and the Department of Enterprise were among the buildings evacuated.
In response to queries, a spokesman for the Garda said it is “aware of a number of security alerts at Government buildings” on Friday afternoon.
“Following further enquiries An Garda Síochána is satisfied that all of the alerts have been deemed as hoax and the areas have been declared safe,” the spokesman added.
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The offices of the Labour Court and Workplace Relations Commission at Lansdowne House in Ballsbridge were also evacuated following a bomb threat.
The building was evacuated by staff at 1.45pm on Friday afternoon, with staff advising that a threat had been delivered by phone to its reception desk. All cases listed for the afternoon were abandoned.
Parties to a case being heard were approached by a member of staff outside the hearing room during a comfort break on the fourth floor of Lansdowne House in Dublin 4 earlier and told: “We’re evacuating the building”.
The exact reason was not stated at that point, but when the adjudicator asked how long he could stay to conclude proceedings, he was told everyone would have to leave at once.
The adjudicator asked the parties to the case to take their papers with them and said he would hear any applications on the way downstairs.
Those in attendance learned as they exited the building that a “bomb threat” had been made.
It’s understood the communication triggering the evacuation was received by a Department of Enterprise telephonist at its offices in Kildare Street around lunchtime.
