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AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA have issued over 3,500 fines to date to people attending or organising house parties.
Gardaí have issued 718 fines to people for organising a house party, worth €500; and 2,855 fines for attending a house party, worth €150.
In an update of the Covid-19 fines handed out, the Gardaí said that a total of around 20,280 fines across the range of all Covid-19 breaches have been issued.
Gardaí gave this breakdown of other fines recorded, as of close of business yesterday:
“These are not just breaches of regulations, but are a risk to the individuals involved, their families and loved ones, and continue to put everybody’s health and the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic at risk,” a Garda statement said.
“An Garda Síochána will be continuing nationwide checkpoints and high visibility patrols at public amenities, parks and beauty spots across the country this weekend in support of public health regulations.”
An Garda Síochána reminded people to plan their activities to take account of the new limitations on non-essential travel, ie, travel within your county or your 20km.
The public should also be aware 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 undertaking activities such as cycling or walking – every adult in such a group can be fined.
Gardaí also advised people visiting parks or other public amenities to park legally, as not doing so can block emergency-service routes.
In enforcing these regulations, Gardaí said they have been using ‘the 4Es approach’: engaging, explaining, and encouraging with enforcement a last resort.
An Garda Síochána continues to remind persons subject to domestic violence – Travel restrictions DO NOT APPLY in the case of domestic violence or to escape a risk of harm, whether to the person or to another person.
An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to any person who may have been the victim of an incident of sexual or domestic crime irrespective of whether you may have been on breach of any public health regulations, for instance by attending a house party, An Garda Síochána is here to assist and support you, please report all such incidents.
Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, Anne Marie McMahon said: “Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of the vast majority of people many of the key Covid-19 indicators are starting to improve. All of us in An Garda Síochána appreciate this.
“It is important now that we continue to do the right things. We need to maintain social distancing, limit our contacts, and regularly wash our hands.
Please do not gather in large groups or attend or host house parties. Being at such gatherings puts you, your loved ones and everyone you have contact with after at risking of catching Covid-19.
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Good for them, life is to be lived.
@Seosamh: you’ve kind of corrected yourself there
@Seosamh: You’re like Artur, showing a video on beeches people having fun meanwhile same country deaths of people spiralling out of control, babies dying from covid complications. But sure who cares am I right? Lets party and to hell with everyone else.
@Ann Mc Shane: Nah, you know what I mean. You’re probably clever enough. Life is to be experienced, lived. Not stuck at home afraid of your shadow.
@Seosamh: Joined September 2020 – come out from your mother’s basement and post under your real name
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Sure let’s ignore the absolute devastating effects of lockdown will we Ally?? There is an absolute Siht show ahead of us..
@Jim Buckley Barrett: Have you come out of your bunker Jim?
@Joe Moore: yes, just searchel my name and you’ll see that I’m real
@Jim Buckley Barrett: My name is Seosamh.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: You look like you’ve just had a few shots done for a Fine Gael election poster haha.
@Joe Moore: Not ignoring it Joe, I don’t think organising parties is going to solve it, infact it may pro long a lockdown that causes the harm you speak of.
@Seosamh: yeh but it’s how we live it that matters, personally I like to help my fellow man, your sounding a bit selfish but don’t let that stop you
@Ally Mc Culladgh: yawn
@Ally Mc Culladgh: ok karan
@Ally Mc Culladgh: People in trees?
@Seosamh: shadows don’t kill 2 million people
@Seosamh: Your comment contradicts itself. Life is to be lived (how profound!) but during a pandemic one has to live life so that one doesn’t put the lives of others at risk. Many of those who chose to ‘live life’ during this pandemic spread the virus and caused themselves and others to no longer have lives ‘to be lived’.
No wonder the cases aren’t dropping below 400
Not half enough, everything open here in Spain because we have had strict rules from the beginning
What’s the deal if you don’t pay the fine ? Do they put you in prison ? Haa haa, we’ll all be in it together then !!!
@Larry Williams: No one will.pay the fines. Let’s be honest here.
The travel restrictions are ridiculous IMO. While I am adhering to them, I think we will look back and say they were wrong. Do we have some of the strictest restrictions globally? Would love to see an article doing a fair comparison.
@DK: no, we don’t. We didn’t at any point. There are places that had stricter rules first day that now have far fewer restrictions than us with everything open.
@DK: there’s loads of search Ireland have had it wrong at every turn, but sure fluff the numbers, keep the people in fear with a well funded propaganda campaign aided and abetted by the journal et all…
@Asid: source?
@Asid: Apparently you haven’t lost close family and/or friends because of COVID, or have family members who are now permanently disabled because of COVID’s effect on their lungs. It’s baffling how some people still believe that the COVID crisis is one manufactured by the media and scoff at the science and facts regarding the corona virus. Ignorance is not bliss. Sometimes, ignorance is fatal.
Sorry numbers are approx 99.99 percent have survived x
@John Leonard: 3 million died from 140.5 million known cases = 2.135%, even allowing for asymptomatic cases ratio of 4:1 of symptomatic cases ( even though some asymptomatic cases are in the 140.5 million cases) the death rate would be at 0.5 % . this would mean 99.5% survival rate. If everyone in the country 4.9 million got the virus , 24,500 people would die
@John Leonard: nice lie you’ve got there. Less than 5% of the country has had a confirmed case. Of which almost 5,000 have died. Now try working out the numbers if 100% of the country had a confirmed case. Your number pretends the whole country had a confirmed case. This didn’t happen. The number would be higher than 5% without the measures taken
People who talk about survival rate have no credibility. Conveniently ignoring that people that survive, may not recover. Organ damage, brain impermeant, amputation’s, transplants needed. but don’t let peoples sufferings get in the way of a good statistic.
@Trevor Donoghue: give us some good statistics then
@Trevor Donoghue: public servant on full pay.
@Dave Hammond: @Trevor Donoghue: I can offer a couple of statistics. In late December 9 members of my family came down with COVID. One of them my beloved aunt, who lived only days after testing positive. Her two children, with no prior health issues, in their 50′s, were hospitalized and in ICU for over a month, and it was touch and go as to their survival. Neither will be able to work again because of the damage done to their lungs. I don’t have to google statistics to know how COVID-19 wreaks havoc on the body and has long-term effects for many of those who survive the illness.
Ah yes, but how many have been paid?
Rightly so. Some people think they are exempt from the rules and as long as they can get away with it, they’ll keep breaking them. Enforcement is key.
And yet nothing for the people who attended golfgate
Hope there is follow up on payment of said fines
have your say