Ryanair condemns arson attack on properties in Swords

Ryanair has condemned an alleged arson attack on a number of properties housing its staff in Swords in Dublin overnight.

The airline said that wheelie bins were set alight and placed "immediately in front of the doors of seven properties" in the Fosterstown area.

It said that the properties were "rented and occupied by Ryanair's Irish and EU employees... who work for Ryanair Inflight, Engineering, and in (Ryanair's) Swords Head Office".

The airline described the incident as a "criminal attack".

It said it had been reported to gardaí and the airline was assisting in the investigation.

"Thanks to the prompt efforts of the Dublin Fire Brigade and the Garda Síochána in Swords, the damage was limited to burns on the front doors of these properties in the Swords area," a statement from airline said.

"Ryanair is one of the largest employers in the Swords area, and it's difficult to understand what these 'morons' thought they would achieve by this arson attack on rental properties and our hardworking employees," a Ryanair spokesperson said.

"None of the properties suffered serious damage, and thankfully none of Ryanair's employees were harmed in any way although some are understandably unnerved by this senseless arson attack on the homes of hardworking young people."

Gardaí have confirmed that they, along with emergency services, responded to reports of a number of incidents of criminal damage by fire at a domestic location in Swords in the early hours of this morning.

Gardaí said that the local fire service extinguished the fires and that no injuries were reported at the time.