A FINE GAEL Minister of State has said those involved in a street party in Limerick last night have "no place" attending a modern, third level institute.
Patrick O'Donovan said a "minority of gougers" were involved in the events at Castletroy and their actions were "a slap in the face" for the frontline and health workers in the current pandemic.
Last night, three men in their 20s were arrested after gardai broke up a street party in Carysfort Avenue, College Court, which is located close to the University of Limerick.
This was following reports that a large number of people, many students, had gathered in contravention of public health regulations.
A number of videos had also emerged on social media of widespread anti-social behaviour during which a number of flares and fireworks were set off.
Speaking to Damien Tiernan on 'Deise Today' this morning, Patrick O'Donovan said what had happened might have been an isolated incident but it was "totally unacceptable" and "totally wrong".
"We have seen some small cluster outbreaks in student accommodation and when you hear things like this, you'd have to ask yourself why," he told Damien.
Patrick O'Donovan said there said there's an onus on the University of Limerick to deal with the events at Castletroy, separate to the gardai dealing with it.
He said that region, like every other, is battling to keep its Covid-19 numbers low.
It was important to point out that there were thousands of students in Limerick attending a total of three third-level institutes and this incident had only involved a "minority of gaugers" that needed to be dealt with.
He said his fear was that it reflected "desperately" on the region as people all over the world were looking at this last night, a party in a pandemic which went on for several hours.
"Lots of people have through this pandemic looking out a curtain," he said, adding that these "ya-hoos" had come in, many from outside the county, and declared party time.
You can listen back to Minister Patrick O'Donovan by clicking below here...
Meanwhile, you can listen back to the full Deise Today from this morning by clicking below here...
