Repair works begin after gates of Government Buildings damaged in apparent ramming

The gates at Government Buildings on Merrion Street in Dublin have been damaged in an apparent ramming overnight.

The scene has been sealed off, and a man has been arrested.

Gardaí say this incident happened at about 2:30am this morning.

There appeared to be damage to a white van at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Office of the Attorney General - with at least three separate gates damaged - one of them was taken off its hinges.

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Road Traffic Act and is being held at a garda station in the city.

A technical exam of the scene is due to place this morning.

Gardaí are also investigating criminal damage at the gates of Áras an Uachtaráin in Phoenix Park.

There was also an apparent ramming at the Department of Housing at the Custom House Quay in the early hours of this morning.

Cathal Berry, Independent TD and former Army Ranger, told Newstalk it is not understood to be a coordinated attack.

"It looks like there was just one individual in one white transit van,” Mr Berry said, adding that the arrested man had been known to gardaí for drug and alcohol related incidents in the past.

“The fact that he’s been offered some health support would indicate to me that this is a very, very isolated incident,” he said.