Gardaí urge public to “stay home to protect themselves and their loved ones”

As enforcement around Covid 19 regulations are ramped An Garda Síochána is advising people to stay home to protect themselves and their loved ones this weekend.

Although NPHET indicate infections rates are slowly coming down policing government policy to restrict the spread of the virus falls to An Garda Síochána. To date the guards have issued approximately 4,600 fines for breaches of COVID-19 regulations. Of these, 3,523 have related to non-essential travel, including around 375 for non-essential journeys to airports or ports.

An Garda Síochána are advising people engaged in cross-border travel that from 7am on Monday, February 8, anyone not ordinarily resident in this State engaging in travel in this jurisdiction without a reasonable excuse may be liable to receive a fine of €100.

From Monday, February 8, if enforcement is required, Gardaí will issue a Fixed Payment Notice (FPN) for €100 to every adult present who is in breach of this regulation. For example, if the driver of a car has two adult passengers then each of the three adults in the car will receive a €100 fine.

An Garda Síochána is also continuing to conduct checkpoints on access roads to airports and ports, as well as in departure areas, to check on whether people travelling to these locations are undertaking an essential journey. Travelling to an airport or port to take a holiday abroad is not an essential journey.

Since January 29 Gardaí have issued approximately 375 fines at Dublin Airport to people for leaving the country for non-essential travel. Gardaí have also intervened with house parties right across the country with in excess of 300 fines issued for either organising or attending a house party.

The fine for organising a house party is €500 and attending a house party is €150. In addition, Gardaí can issue a fine of €500 for organising other relevant events in breach of public health regulations.

Over the last few days, An Garda Síochána have also attended breaches of health regulations by licensed premises, restaurants, retail outlets, hair and beauty salons amongst other business premises.

The number of fines issued up to yesterday (February 4) is made up of 3,933 fines that have been processed and approximately 700 that are currently being checked and processed.