Giant Inflatable Could Have Caused 'Serious Injury'

The escape of a giant inflatable onto a busy Dublin road could have led to "serious injury and property damage", Fianna Fáil's Paul McAuliffe said.

Cllr McAuliffe said that while a giant inflatable Minion blocking Old Swords Roas is "amusing", it demonstrates "the need for Dublin City Council to ensure the operators of such devices have the appropriate training alongside ensuring the correct health and safety procedures are put in place".

"The incident on the Old Swords Road in Santry, which saw a giant inflatable Minion escape from its harness and tumble onto a busy local road, may at first glance seem like a humorous social media story. However it could have led to a far more serious incident", Cllr McAuliffe said.

"I have referred the matter to Dublin City Council's planning enforcement department to investigate if the inflatable cartoon character was the subject of any planning regulation and to question as to whether operators had implemented the appropriate health and safety measures.

"It seems like an innocent story and I am relieved that there were no injuries or serious damage to any property. However all the same we need to make sure that lessons are learned and a similar incident does not happen in the future.

"Fairground events and festivals are really important in bringing foot fall to our city villages, but even the smallest events have health and safety conditions. I have asked the Council to provide me with a report on the incident and for the operators of the fairground to be interviewed by council officials. Hopefully this will prevent a repeat of what was seen on the Old Swords Road earlier today."

(MH)