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PEOPLE who attend house parties in breach of Covid regulations will be fined € 150, while anyone caught not wearing a mask in a store or on public transport will face a € 80 fine, the Government has announced .
The Health and Justice Departments announced a new system of fines, which will be applied by An Garda Síochána and which will come into effect during the next week, a month after the DTs and senators approved the legislation to incorporate the new measures.
Under the new system of fines, people who host house parties in violation of current Covid regulations prohibiting such gatherings could face a € 500 fine. Those who fail to comply with a garda order to disperse such gatherings could face a fine of up to € 1,000 and a month in prison.
The Gardaí will now have powers to order people to leave the vicinity of a private home if they have a reasonable suspicion that an event is taking place that contravenes the regulations. They can also order the occupant to ensure that everyone present at the event, except those residing in the private home, leaves it.
However, the Government has stressed that Gardaí does not have the power to enter a home under these provisions and can only appear at the front door of a private home to make these requests. Organizing an event outside a private home in breach of Covid rules will also carry a € 500 fine.
Not wearing a face shield on public transport will result in a € 80 fine, while not wearing it at certain points of sale will also result in a € 80 fine.
Anyone who fails to pay these new flat fine notices within 28 days can be prosecuted in court.
The new system of fines was published by the government on Tuesday almost a month after the Oireachtas approved the legislation to introduce them and the president enacted it.
The Health Department said Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, and Tourism and Media Minister Catherine Martin were among those consulted before Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, sign the new regulations.
An Garda Síochána will enforce fixed fine notices for the duration of the pandemic and will be adjusted if restrictions are eased. The government said that prior to the introduction of this new system, the only enforcement powers available to the gardaí were the criminal provisions of the 1947 Health Act, which imposed a maximum fine of 2,500 euros and up to six months in prison in case of conviction.
“The government decided that a more flexible and proportionate sanction system was required for crimes and infractions of regulations,” said a statement.
He added: “The vast majority of the Irish have followed the guidance and advice. Unfortunately, there is a small cohort of people who ignore advice, ignore guidance, and put themselves and others at risk. Their activities can be dangerous from a Covid-19 perspective and can put their communities at risk. “
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