Policing Authority Report Policing Authority Report

A REPORT ON policing in Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic has said that over 50% of 5,784 of people who were issued fines were aged between 18-25, and that 75% of those who received fines were men.

Around 85% (4,911) of fines were issued to people leaving their homes without a reasonable excuse. International travel accounted for the remaining 2.3% (132) of fines, worth €500, and have only been issued in February.

Approximately 2% (116) €500 fines were issued to organisers of events while a further 8.6% (498) were fined €150 for attending events. Non-wearing of face coverings accounted for just 2.2% (127) of fines, worth €80, and included 16 fines from December.

The 11th report by the Policing Authority was submitted to the Minister for Justice last week. It covers the period up to and including Thursday 11 February. 

The report said that in January, incidents involving the use of powers, other than fines, peaked at 207 to exceed those at the height of the first lockdown in April, which numbered 192. The primary driver for this were incidents relating to the failure of international travellers to provide a negative PCR test on arrival into the State. These accounted for 115 incidents in January and a further 7 to date in February.

The North Western Region remains the region with the highest number of incidents, the report said, accounting for 346 (~28%) of total incidents since 8 April.

The divisions with the highest number of incidents has changed with DMR North, Galway and Cork City accounting for 107, 89 and 78 incidents respectively.

The increase in DMR North in particular has been primarily driven due to breaches by incoming international travellers who fail to provide negative PCR tests on arrival at Dublin Airport.

The introduction of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) during the six-week lockdown that was eased before Christmas mean that there are now a variety of fines for breaches of regulations.

It took time to implement these fines as legislative changes were needed, and Gardaí needed to be trained on how to enforce them.

Of the 5,784 fixed charges had been issued by the Garda Síochána for breaches in Covid-19 regulations, with the exception of 16, all of these have been issued in January and the first eleven days of February. 

Approximately 6,500 checkpoints were carried out per week in January – less than around 9,500 average weekly checkpoints carried out in May during the initial lockdown.

The last Policing Authority report was submitted on 18 December 2020.