The Garda this evening strongly denied a weekend report which said "bizarre circumstances" led to the low level of air support during last month's Love Ulster Parade in Dublin which descended into the worst violence the city has seen in 30 years.
The Sunday Independentreported that one of the Garda helicopters had been involved in two separate overnight searches for people believed to have fallen into the sea in south Dublin.
"After the prolonged search the Garda helicopter needed servicing and was not ready for flight when the first call came from the city centre for its deployment. It was eventually ready by 3.20pm by which time most of the rioting was over," the newspaper said.
It said the other helicopter was not tasked to assisting the riot squad which was deployed around O'Connell Street and Kildare Street where the rioting occurred.
The Garda fixed-wing plane was deployed but is not fitted with the powerful observation equipment aboard the helicopters and is less suited to riot operations.
The Garda chief spokesman Superintendent Kevin O'Donoghue described the report as "grossly inaccurate".
On the date of the riots Saturday, February 25 thone helicopter was grounded undergoing its regular 500-air-hour service. But both other craft were deployed as part of the operation, Supt O'Donoghue said in a statement.
Both available aircraft provided air cover for the convoy of coaches as they crossed the border on the morning of the ill fated march, he continued.
Supt O'Donoghue said: "The fixed-wing continued throughout the day to provide air support for the ground operation, utilising all its technical equipment onboard.
Some photographic and video footage from the fixed wing has assisted in identifying some of those involved in the various public order incidents which occurred throughout the day. This will be advanced in evidence, if required, at future Court hearings."
However, the statement acknowledged that the helicopter left the scene 11.20 am for flight safety reasons and returned to Baldonnel Aerodrome.
After it was checked, it was redeployed, as reported by the Sunday Independent, at 3.40pm by which time the rioting had subsided.
"Deployments of the Garda Air Support Unit during the preceding 24 hour period had no bearing whatsoever on the level of support provided by that unit to the operation on the 25th February," Supt O'Donoghue said.