YOU MIGHT HAVE noticed more gardaí than usual in parts of Dublin city centre this morning, or had your commute delayed by a road closure.

A number of traffic restrictions are coming into place to make way for meetings that are happening in and near Dublin Castle as part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

EU affairs ministers are landing in Dublin Castle today for an informal meeting of the EU General Affairs Council.

The meeting will be chaired by Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne. 

Ireland has held the presidency since July, but things quietened down a bit last month as Irish and European politicians went on their summer holidays.

The action is gearing up again now for September.

Earlier this week, Druids Glen in Wicklow hosted informal meetings of EU defence and foreign affairs ministers from 31 August to 2 September.

Back in Dublin, attendees at the EU affairs meetings will arrive and depart through Dublin Airport today and tomorrow, though normal operations will continue at the airport.

An Garda Síochána have said that formal and informal EU Presidency events today and on Friday will be concentrated at Dublin Castle, the Chancery Hotel, Radisson Blu Royal Hotel and Trinity College Dublin.

What are the traffic disruptions?

A spokesperson said traffic restrictions will be “kept to the minimum required” and it is intended that any impact on the public “will be localised”.

Today, there will be localised, temporary traffic restrictions and rolling road closures to facilitate security escorts between 2.45pm and 3.30pm in the south city centre, near Dublin Castle.

There will also be intermittent, localised temporary traffic restrictions and rolling road closures later this evening between 5.30pm and 7.15pm, between the south city centre and Trinity College and Dublin Castle.

On Friday, there will be localised, temporary traffic restrictions and rolling road closures between 7.45am and 8.30am in the south city centre, near Dublin Castle.

The plans are subject to change for security and operational reasons. A spokesperson said gardaí are “working to ensure that the nature and scale of the policing and security operation is proportionate to protect everyone’s safety”.

The policing and security operation in place at Dublin Castle will remain in place for the duration of the presidency, which ends on 31 December.

Until that date, Ship Street Little, and Ship Street Great are closed to both traffic and pedestrians, though local access is facilitated.

Meanwhile, there was relief yesterday among some businesses near Dublin Castle when security barriers were reconfigured to allow for pedestrian access along Castle Street.

Castle Street will remain closed to traffic until 31 December.

Gardaí have also reminded the public that drone restrictions are in place at venues hosting EU presidency events, details of which are published on the Irish Aviation Authority website.