Gardaí now issuing fines for organising or attending house parties

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An Garda Síochána is cautioning people to stay home this weekend, with a warning that fines can now be issued for anyone caught attending or organising house parties.

Gardaí issued fines to 16 people for attending or organising house parties in Galway, Cork, Limerick, and Kilkenny/Carlow on Thursday.

Anyone organising a house party can now be hit with a fine of €500 under current regulations, and attending one could result in a €150 fine.

On top of the fines for attending a party, An Garda Síochána state that someone could also be issued with a €100 fine for non-essential travel, even if only going over to the neighbour’s house.

More than 2,400 fines have been issued for non-essential travel by An Garda Síochána as of this week.

There have been a further 63 fines issued to people for not wearing face masks in locations where it s required.

The vast bulk of these, 50 fines in total, were to people who wouldn’t wear a mask in a shop.

Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, John Twomey said, “The vast majority of people are continuing to play their part in tackling the spread of COVID-19.

“They are staying home, only making essential journeys, and exercising within 5km of their homes. We appreciate the sacrifices they are making and we ask them to keep it up.”

“However, there are still some people putting themselves their loved ones, their friends, and their neighbours at risk of getting COVID-19 by not adhering to the regulations.

“People are dying from COVID-19. People are seriously ill. Our brave doctors, nurses, medical staff and other front-line workers are putting their lives on the line to protect others.”

“They need our support and they deserve our respect. The best way of doing this is to stay home.”

Nationwide checkpoints and high visibility patrols at public amenities across the country are continuing this weekend.

An Garda Síochána are also continuing to conduct checkpoints on access roads to airports and ports to check on whether people travelling to these locations are making an essential journey.