Laois Gardaí called to Portlaoise leisure centre after 'disgraceful behaviour'
Free access to Portlaoise amenity for Leaving and Junior Certificate exam students halted
Management at the Laois Leisure say Gardaí had to be called to the Portlaoise centre after what was described as “disgraceful behaviour of a large group” of young people.
A public statement issued by Seán Quirke, General Manager, Laois Leisure, on Thursday evening, June 11, said the incident has forced the pausing of complimentary access for secondary school exam students
“We regret to announce that with immediate effect, we are pausing our complimentary access for Leaving and Junior Certificate exam students in Portlaoise. We apologise to the many decent, well behaved and respectful students that are impacted by this,” he said.
Mr Quirke explained why the decision has been made by the management of the centre on the Ridge Road.
“This has been necessitated by the disgraceful behaviour of a large group this evening interfering with the enjoyment of our Aquafit and other customers, verbally abusing our hard-working team of staff and failing to follow lifeguard and staff instructions.
“We have provided this complimentary service to exam students for many years, and we are extremely disappointed to have to call upon busy Garda services to assist our team to remove people for whom we are trying to do the right thing. We will review the situation next week,” he said.
Mr Quirke concluded his statement published on social media by wishing the very best to all of those doing their exams.
Portlaoise Gardaí confirmed that they attended the scene, but the youths involved had dispersed or were in the process of leaving the centre. It is understood that around 20 young people were involved. Gardaí were due to follow up with management on Friday with a meeting to assess the situation with management.
Laois Leisure operates sports and leisure centres in Portlaoise and Portarlington under license from Laois County Council.
Facilities managed include: swimming pools, all-weather pitches, gyms, and meeting rooms, catering to the needs of individuals, clubs, groups, schools, sporting organisations, medical professionals and many more.