`Operation Oiche', the new Garda plan aimed at curbing drunkenness and disorder on the streets, particularly at the weekend, is beginning to take effect in the midlands, with dozens of arrests in Portlaoise, Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar. The campaign began a fortnight ago in Mullingar where there were 18 arrests over the weekend mainly for drunken behaviour.
On the Friday night the operation was launched, there were nine arrests in Mullingar when additional gardai were deployed around the centre of the town.
On the following night, the number of arrests dropped to seven and by Sunday night, only two people were taken to the station and held.
A Garda spokesman said that last weekend there was a drop in the number of arrests in the division but he could not say if this trend would continue.
"We are facing into the Hallowe'en weekend so it is difficult to predict whether or not we will have as quiet a weekend as the last one," he said.
As part of the operation, gardai visited pubs in the town and off-licences checking the ages of the customers. In addition, they operated road checkpoints in Mullingar and a number of arrests were made.
"We have been concentrating on public order offences and underage drinking and keeping a high profile around the centre of the town at the weekend," he said.
The pattern of arrests was similar across the midlands, showing an increase for the weekend of October 13th-16th and a fall-off last weekend following court appearances.
Fines for public disorder offences range from £500 to six months' imprisonment and in a number of cases in Mullingar and Tullamore, Judge John Neilan has been imposing the maximum fine.
At its last meeting, Offaly County Council agreed to write to the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, seeking additional gardai for rural areas.
A motion seeking additional resources and personnel for rural areas had been tabled following a number of attacks on elderly people in August of last year.
Similar demands for more personnel to be placed in rural areas have been made at meetings of Longford and Westmeath County Councils.