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GARDAÍ HAVE ISSUED approximately 1,500 fines for non-essential travel since 11 January.
At close of business yesterday, 909 fines had been processed for non-essential travel. In addition, approximately 645 fines are currently being processed.
Under current Covid-19 restrictions, gardaí are continuing to operate static checkpoints on national roads, as well as other mobile checkpoints and high visibility patrols in areas such as parks and scenic locations.
Since 11 January, gardaí have been permitted to prosecute breaches of travel restrictions by means of a €100 Fixed Payment Notice.
Gardaí are reminding people that they are only allowed to exercise within 5km of their home. The 5km limit includes the distance travelled from a person’s home to a location for exercise.
The public is also being reminded that if a driver is found to be in breach of the non-essential travel regulations that not only can the driver be fined, but their adult passengers as well.
This is also the case for adults in groups participating in activities such as cycling or walking – every adult in such a group can be fined.
In addition, An Garda Síochána said travel to airports and ports should only be taken for essential reasons. Holidays abroad are not deemed essential, they said.
“The vast majority of people are complying with the non-essential travel regulations. We thank them for that,” Deputy Commissioner John Twomey said.
“Unfortunately, there are still some people who are putting themselves, their loved ones and everyone they come into contact with at risk of getting Covid-19 by not complying with public health regulations,” Twomey said.
“There are people dying and are seriously ill from Covid-19. Our health service and all who work in it are under serious pressure. People need to adhere to the public health regulations to help save lives and reduce that pressure,” he said.
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Good on the Garda.
@David Connell: Achtung!! Papiere bitte!!
Some fines a joke tbh, my neighbor got a fine for outside Lidl’s which is 10km away, she tried to explain she can’t afford to shop at her local centra and the guard didn’t care just said your outside 5km they scanned her license plate while she was in Lidl! Told her to appeal, that can’t be right surely?
@Philip Mckenna:Someone told me there’s a danger that some governments will take advantage of the pandemic to tighten controls to an unnecessary extent and for some police to enforce them overzealously.
@Philip Mckenna: that just sounds like an àsshôle or someone having a bad day, majority of gards just want an logical explanation. Would be surprised if your neighbour didn’t win that appeal.
@artur filip: was the person that told you wearing a tinfoil hat by any chance
@Philip Mckenna: It has been said on a number of occasions that the 5km doesn’t apply to food shopping. And nowhere does it say you have to shop at your nearest supermarket( they did have that rule in Italy last year). She should definitely appeal.
@Philip Mckenna: The older Guards are fine ans can see sense. The younger ones are a bunch of un-informed planks
@artur filip: luckily we live in a very tolerant country.
@Philip Mckenna: This is absurd and should certainly be appealed because:
A: You can travel outside the 5km for food.
B: not everyone can afford to do a weekly shop in the local convenience store.
C: A sizeable portion of rural Ireland doesn’t live within 5km of a shop, are these people meant to starve until the restrictions are lifted.
That fine should be ripped up and binned. Completely disproportionate by An Gardaí.
@Philip Mckenna: Definitely appeal or just ignore it. I was stopped over the weekend going to the supermarket 18km away. Nothing happened as it shouldn’t.
@Philip Mckenna: I’m calling bs on that. Gardai cannot issue fines for that reason. Any fines issued are after they direct the person to leave and only if there is an issue. How many hundreds of thousands of cars are stopped everyday at those checkpoints and on 1100 fines issued in 14days.
@Philip Mckenna: they should go after all the anti social behaviour in the city centre too.
@Philip Mckenna: if that happened that’s totally wrong.
Absolutely no way that should be allowed.
And that should be followed up for an apology.
@Philip Mckenna: unfortunately there is people misusing the essential traveling for food shopping. People is travelling outside their 5km for non essential reasons just boredom or who knows. Then buy some food or beverages, for their picnics and walks in iconic and well known outdoors places. Then shop to prove of shopping to the Gardaí
I guess if the Gardaí were in the parking, the own shop might have been left without other option than report …. report people parking there and spend the day elsewhere … blocking a parking space for people who actually want to shop
So before appealing your neighbour need to know shopping leave evidence of time and there might be cameras in the parking and the shop so the outcome might be even worse than the fine
@Paul: What why would I make it up? Get a life ff5
@Paul: but this is the comments section of the journal.ie! No way anyone woullie or make a false statement! :)
Great! So can they also publish on a daily basis how many people have been vaccinated?
@Michael Kelleher: The Gardaí don’t do vaccinations.
Yet people can travel from Ireland to England for the weekend an not a word about it
@Dolores English: Not true
It’s anti constitutional (don’t bother arguing with me on this…..it’s easily checked out) and will be contested and all fines thrown out.
@Damien Grogan: no it’s not
@Damien Grogan: I agree. Remember the X case and freedom to travel. No one can be stopped from travelling
@Paul Dolan: they can if it’s in the interest of national security. Reems of caselaw on it. High benchmark but I reckon a pandemic should cover it.
“Unfortunately, there are still some people who are putting themselves, their loved ones and everyone they come into contact with at risk of getting Covid-19 by not complying with public health regulations,” Twomey said.
Greatest.Twaddle.Ever
@Damien Grogan: I assume you’re referring to your comment.
@Damien Grogan: very unlikely if you meeting anyone under 70
“Unfortunately, there are still some people who are putting themselves, their loved ones and everyone they come into contact with at risk of getting Covid-19 by not complying with public health regulations,” – This is the biggest load of nonesense and complete nanny statism. I go hiking wherever I like. All by myself and I don’t come into contact with anyone else. Haven’t been fined yet but then again I don’t go hiking in popular spots and I stick to the backroads. IMHO, not all public health advice should be followed. And not all authorities should be followed either. Just follow your own judgment.
@Ciarán Oglesby: absolutely agree.
But the problem is that people are getting fined for hill walking.
Everyone should say it’s an essential journey for the health and refuse fines.
The only caveat is multi households, people shouldn’t have close contacts outside their own household on exercise outdoors.
Other than that as many km as you can safely do.
That’s great but is it actually deterring people? I’d imagine there’s plenty of inconsiderate people out there who’d happily pay a €100 charge to do and go wherever they please.
@Rochelle: That’s a good argument for increasing the fine amount for each subsequent breach.
@Rochelle: Eamon Ryan is believed to be increasing the fine significantly – report in the Indo.
@Rochelle: Hey Rochelle, hope your weekend is going well, I can only give you my own sort of experience and what I have seen, I look at the bunch of anti maskers who are constantly at the GPO and doing various other anti science gatherings, they have died down in the last week with various arrested and fines issue, I do think it is a deterrent.
some people will never be reasoned with of course
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Psst… it’s Monday
@Mairead Jenkins: And you actually believe the Indo .
@Mairead Jenkins: He have to stay awake first.
How many were fined for arriving in Dublin Apt without negative PCR test?
@Daniel Dunne: Dublin apartment? What happened? Who’s apartment?
Those that would trade a freedom for a little security , deserve neither
Best one yet – Dublin checkpoint: Lads what’s the purpose of your journey.
Lads: We were hungry.
Guard: And where you travelling from?
Lads: Meath.
That’s bloody brilliant, oscar winning stuff for sure.
@Sean Kelly: and they were all fined, as they should have been!
@Sean Kelly: There is no guidelines as to what is essential and what isn’t.
If you prefer to shop in Lidl which is 20km away, but there’s a Tesco within 5km, should you be fined?
If you prefer to have Starbucks coffee but there’s a local coffeeshop closer, should you be fined?
If you want Thai food for dinner, should you be fined for leaving the 5km when there’s a Chinese?
This is why the 5km doesn’t really make any sense
@Colm OS: and do you think anyone will pay these fines ? We aren’t great at taking responsibility but to be fair this time and the first lockdown we did oblige , but there will always be a hardcore of folk who think rules or recommendations do not apply to them.
Every One has Natural Inalienable Rights.
Educate and Help Yourself and Everyone who Needs it.
Prof. Dolores Cahill – How To Travel Freely
https://www.bitchute.com/video/u98wLVjrjsGE/
How many fines have been paid???
A bit naive the test clearance like the tests have the same security levels than passwords. Everybody should be tested at arrival and subject of mandatory stay in a designated hotel. People can work remotely from the hotel room and would have the piece of mind their families and essential workers colleagues are safe, and of course no charge for essential and compassion travels. And provision of family hub when the person is travelling to take carer of underage
It’s likely people from South Africa and Brazil do not have family network here !!!
As we are all in this together we anyone that’s pays the €100 fine for breaking the covid-19 restrictions. Get their money back in a few months. Like the politicians that broke the covid-19 restrictions got their jobs back.
have your say