Arrests under Covid-19 legislation more than quadruple in a week

The number of people arrested by gardaí for breaching the Covid-19 movement restrictions has more than quadrupled in the last week.

Between April 13th and 19th, Gardaí arrested 25 people for failing to comply with restrictions on non-essential travel and exercise more than 2km from the home. A total of 32 people have now been arrested since the regulations came into force on April 8th.

Another two people were also arrested last week on the instruction of a medical professional. The emergency legislation grants gardaí the power to detain people who are infected with Covid-19 who refuse to self-isolate, if the direction comes from a health worker.

There were another 261 people arrested for other offences after being caught by gardaí enforcing the Covid-19 restrictions.

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According to a Garda spokesman, these were incidents which “started as potential breaches of the regulations, but during the incidents other offences were disclosed.

“As such, long-standing legislation for offences such as public order, assault, road traffic, and drugs was used instead. This included incidents involving house/street parties, gatherings beyond the family unit, and non-essential travel.”

Gardaí have been instructed to only use the emergency legislation as a last resort and to make arrests under other legislation if appropriate.

There have now been 405 such arrests since the movement restrictions were introduced.

The latest figures come shortly after Minister for Health Simon Harris warned that "complacency" about the spread of the virus may be starting to creep in as the death toll continues to rise.

The Garda said it continues to experience “a high level of compliance with the public health guidelines at the many checkpoints and high visibility patrols it is conducting at tourist locations, natural beauty spots, and parks and beaches.

“During this time, gardaí have interacted with hundreds of thousands of people. The vast majority were adhering to the public health guidelines.”

Under the new guidelines, Garda must seek permission from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before bring charges under the emergency legislation. A direction has already been received in some cases and several people have appeared before the courts.

Last Thursday a Derry man became the first person sentenced for breaching the restrictions. The 26 year old was arrested by gardaí in Co Kerry after driving more than 400km to buy two puppies for his child. He was sentenced to 28 days in prison but released pending appeal.

On Tuesday, in Wexford District Court a 24 year old was jailed for three months for twice breaching the movement restrictions and a number of other road traffic offences.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said on Tuesday: "Unfortunately, there are people who did not adhere to the guidelines and gardaí had no option but to use the regulations or other legislation. It should be stressed though that this is a tiny proportion of the people we have engaged with over this time.

“An Garda Síochána’s role is to keep people safe through community engagement, particularly with the vulnerable, and our tradition of policing by consent.

“In that spirit, gardaí are engaging with a large amount of people every day and in the vast majority of cases they are complying with the public health guidelines. It is vital this continues because it will help save lives. I want to thank the public for this and also the great support they are giving to our members every day.”

Mr Harris also extended his sympathies to those who have lost loved ones to Covid-19. He said he also recognises “the sacrifices that people adhering to the guidelines are making in playing their part in protecting others. It is for those reasons that there is a collective and individual responsibility to maintain compliance with the public health guidelines.”

At the request of Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan, the Policing Authority is to monitor use of the new Garda powers as well as the use of so-called “spit hoods.” The Garda ordered 16,000 spit hoods, which are used to stop suspects spitting or coughing on gardaí, at the start of the crisis.

The Policing Authority has said it has concerns about the introduction of the hoods, which have been condemned by human rights groups, but welcomed confirmation from Mr Harris that they are a temporary measure.