Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has condemned the “vicious, unprovoked attack” on a tourist in Dublin city centre this week but has maintained that the capital is “safe.”
The Justice Minister visited Store Street Garda Station today with Minister for Public Expenditure - and Dublin Central TD - Paschal Donohoe.
The station is just yards from where a 57-year-old American tourist was assaulted on Wednesday night, leaving him with serious head and eye injuries.
Assistant Garda Commissioner for Dublin Angela Willis said “regrettably” an American tourist was “violently assaulted by a number of perpetrators” at around 10.40pm on Wednesday.
She said the gardaí are following “significant lines of inquiry” and is confident that the perpetrators will be brought before the justice system.
Gardaí arrived on the scene near Talbot St “within seconds” on Wednesday night, she added.
Minister McEntee said: “If I could say at the outset I just wish nothing but the best for that gentleman. This was a vicious, unprovoked attack that should not have happened and obviously the first response by the gardaí is to make sure that those who are responsible are brought to justice and that is happening.”