Gardaí issue 355 fines for Covid-19 breaches in Roscommon / Longford

THE number of fines issued for breaches of Covid-19 regulations in the Roscommon / Longford division continues to rise, gardaí have confirmed.

According to data, published on Friday evening, members of An Garda Siochána in the Roscommon / Longford division, have issued a total of 355 Fixed Charge Notices - up by 47 from 308 last week.

Over the four weeks prior to that, the number of FCNs issued in the Roscommon / Longford division was 283, 244, 170 and 117, respectively. 

Cavan/Monaghan gardaí have issued 477 FCNs (up from 420 the previous week), while the number issued in Sligo/Leitrim and Westmeath is 369 (up 150 from 219 the previous week) and 176 (an increase of 13 on the 163 of the previous week), respectively.

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Nationally, An Garda Síochána has issued nearly 15,000 fines in relation to a range of Covid-19 breaches. These include non-essential travel, organising house parties and not wearing a face covering.

More than half (52%) of all fines have been issued to individuals aged between 18 and 25 while 46% of all fines have been issued at the weekend. 

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Gardai say they are continuing to find groups gathering in a variety of settings which are in breach of the regulations.

Across the weekend, members of the force in Longford / Roscommon and accross the country mounted checkpoints and high visibility patrols at public amenities, parks and beauty spots. 

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"An Garda Síochána is again advising the public of the need to plan their activities over the weekend to take account that people are only allowed to exercise within 5km of their home. People are reminded that the 5km limit includes the distance travelled from their home to a location for exercise," said a spokesperson.

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.

Members of the public are are being urged to park legally when visiting amenities within their 5k as illegal parking can hinder access by emergency services and could put lives at risk. 

In enforcing these regulations, gardaí say they have been using the 4Es approach – engaging, explaining, and encouraging with enforcement a last resort.

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A number of people have already appeared before the courts in Longford in relation to alleges breaches of Covid-19 regulations.