Fianna Fáil TD explains decision to scrap plans to allow gardaí to break house parties



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Fianna Fáil TD and attorney James Lawless have explained the cabinet’s decision at the last minute to scrap plans to allow gardaí to crack down on house parties.

A proposal was presented to Cabinet that would have made it a crime to have more than six people in a home, but this would be difficult to enforce due to a provision in the Constitution, Lawless noted.

“There is a provision in the Constitution called Unviability of the house which basically means that a garda cannot knock down your door in the same way that perhaps they could kick the door of a business, a pub or a shed in the middle of nowhere. ” he said.

“They can’t get into the house legally, so if they’re going to do so, they need additional checks and balances. They pulled out of that last night, I think there was a concern about civil liberties.”

There is concern in the Government about an increase in Covid-19 groups in private homes.

However, Stephen Donnelly’s plan to penalize the shocked with seven or more people in their homes was canceled amid concerns that they were “too clumsy.”

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