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The Gardaí has begun imposing fines on people who refuse to wear masks, almost seven weeks after the new crimes were created, but members of the force are still unable to impose fines on people who host house parties.
The information technology (IT) infrastructure required to add internal party violations to the flat fee notification system (FCN), or fines, has proven complex.
Additionally, Garda sources said that because the legislation on house parties is completely new and unprecedented in nature, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris wants Garda members to take any case to the DPP instead. to present them themselves. There is concern that people prosecuted or fined for having gatherings in their homes, under unproven legislation, will file appeals in court.
In the period from late November to January 6, four different regimes of Covid-19 criminal regulations will have been implemented, all enforceable by gardaí, and all of these required new IT fixes in the Garda, DPP and Court Service systems. , sources. said.
The changes had to be reported by the DPP council and thoroughly tested before they start operating, Gardaí added, noting that this work cannot be done quickly enough to match the frequency with which the government has changed the rules.
Since Monday, when the refusal to use face covers was added to the FCN system, three people have been sanctioned throughout the Republic.
Before mask-wearing crimes were added to the FCN system this week, Garda headquarters said Gardaí had already sent nine files to the DPP related to face-mask violations. Of these, a prosecution had already begun.
Deputy Commissioner John Twomey said the latest figures, which revealed a low number of execution cases, reflected the fact that the general public had been highly compliant with Covid-19 regulations.
“However, although more activities are now allowed at Level 3, it is vital that we do not become complacent,” he said.
“We all need to wear masks when appropriate, maintain social distancing and limit our number of contacts.”
Garda Guide
All Garda members this week received an explanatory guide from Garda headquarters that emphasized that they must continue to go through the DPP when faced with the crime of holding an event in a private home.
Under the new fine system announced last month, those caught hosting a home party or traveling to a home party could face fines of 1,000 euros for the first offense and up to 2,500 euros and six months in prison for repeat offenses.
Members of the Garda have also been informed that it only becomes a crime for people not to wear a mask if a designated person has raised the matter with them, such as a public transport worker or a merchant, and they have refused to wear a mask. mask.
If the Gardaí are called to the scene, they must establish that efforts were made to ask the person to “comply” and wear a mask. If established, a Garda member must give the person another chance to comply. Only if they don’t put on a mask at that time can they be issued a flat charge notice, which carries a € 80 fine.
Fines may be imposed for: not wearing a face cover on public transportation; stay in public transport without covering your face; refusing to get off public transportation when asked to do so by a transportation service employee; do not wear a mask in “stores, shopping centers, libraries, cinemas, theaters, concert halls, bingo halls, museums, nail salons, hairdressers, tattoo and piercing studios, travel agents, laundries, dry cleaners, bookmakers, train stations and bus stations ”.
The Garda said Thursday that there were 20 alleged violations of the 1947 Health Act in the past three weeks, including holding parties at home and not wearing face masks, among other crimes. There were also 22 violations of the rules governing licensed premises and 21 alleged violations of the rules governing retail establishments.
Gardaí across the Republic have continued for the past three weeks to operate checkpoints in more than 100 locations to monitor whether people traveled outside of their counties without a reasonable excuse, Garda headquarters added.
There had also been “high-visibility patrols focused on the nighttime economy”, which included combating gatherings in public places, as seen last month in the cities of Dublin and Cork. Additionally, the Garda said it had continued to play a very proactive role in fighting domestic violence, which has soared to record levels since the pandemic began in the Republic in March.
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