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Dublin’s Seapoint, Sandycove and Forty Foot bathing points have been closed to the public until further notice.
The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said the decision was made on Saturday after a consultation with Gardaí and as a result of “concerns raised about compliance with social distancing.”
In a statement on its website, the council said the areas will remain closed until further notice “to better align with the Covid-19 restrictions and in the interest of public health.”
Gardaí confirmed that the places had been closed.
“The decision has been made by the relevant county council and not by the local gardaí,” said a spokesman.
The scene at Sandycove Bathing Place in South Dublin on Saturday. Photography: Niamh Hooper.
The council established parking restrictions at Sandycove, Vico Road, and the parking lots at Killiney Beach and Dart stations earlier this week.
The move came when members of the public were urged to comply with movement restrictions introduced over the holiday weekend to combat the spread of the virus. The government said on Friday that the restrictions, including that people must stay 2 km from their homes, will remain in force until at least May 5.
Gardaí has been given new powers to instruct people to return to their homes, if they travel 2 km from their home without a valid and essential reason, with sanctions for people who do not comply with the orders.
A Garda spokeswoman said that “early next week, a Garda Síochána will provide information on the number of times the regulations were used in relation to public health guidelines.”
While Garda sources reported on Friday a high level of compliance with movement restrictions, the PSNI said they had fined several people for violating the rules of social distancing in Northern Ireland.
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