Almost 150 on the spot fines have been issued for various breaches of COVID-19 regulations by Gardaí in Galway in the past week.
Gardaí in the Galway Division had issued a total of 665 COVID-19 fines as of the end Thursday, March 4, up from 520 the week before.
These fines cover a range of offences including breaching travel restrictions, attending or organising a prohibited event, or failing to wear a mask where required.
There have been a total of 11,607 fines issued by Gardaí nationwide to date, of which 417 were in the first four days of March. February saw 6,733 fines issued for COVID breaches, averaging 240 per day.
The largest share of these by far have been for non-essential travel, for which 9,021 people have received an on the spot fine of €100.
Men make up 75 percent of the fine recipients, and more than half of offenders are between the ages of 18 and 25.
Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, Anne Marie McMahon said, “The vast majority of people are compiling with the public health regulations.
“In doing so, they have made major sacrifices. This effort has saved many lives. We thank them for that.
“To continue to save lives and eventually return to some level of normality we need to further reduce the numbers of people getting COVID-19.”
“Everyone has a role to play in this. Everyone has a responsibility to themselves, those they love, and those they come into contact with to adhere to the public health advice.”
“The best way of keeping safe this weekend is to stay home. If you are going out, please stay within your 5km, limit your contacts with others, maintain social distancing, and regularly wash your hands.”
Gardaí are reminding people that if a car is stopped outside the 5km travel limit, not only can the driver be fined if the journey is deemed non-essential, but any adult passengers as well.
An Garda Síochána is emphasising again, however, that travel restrictions do not apply in the case of domestic violence, or to escape the risk of harm.
