200 fines issued locally for Covid breaches in first three months of year

Just over 200 fixed charged penalties were issued by gardai in Westmeath for breaches of Covid-19 rules in the first three months of the year.

The vast majority (173) of the 203 fines issued locally up to April 1 were €100 fixed notice charges for non-essential travel. Twenty two people were fined €150 for attending a house party or another event, while four people were fined €500 for organising parties or events in breach of Covid rules. Three people were fined €80 for refusing to wear a face mask in a designated area, while one person not normally resident in Ireland also received a fixed penalty notice of €100 for travelling in the state without a reasonable excuse.

Speaking at Monday's online meeting of the Westmeath Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Chief Superintendent Fergus Healy noted that the number of fixed notice charges for breaches of Covid regulations in Westmeath were much lower than in many counties and he paid tribute to local people for their compliance.

Chief Supt Healy said that when dealing with the public during the pandemic officers employed the 4Es policy: engage, explain, encourage and enforce. “Basically we enforce the rules if they don't comply,” he told the members of the JPC.

Praising his officers for their efforts over the past 14 months, he said that it has been a difficult period and has taken its toll.

“The last 12-14 months have been intense for the gardai, for all garda divisions up and down the country. We are probably one of the few organisations who have continued to go to work everyday. We don't have the capacity to work from home.

“Every member has faced that challenge and there were concerns about public health issues for our own safety but we have risen to the challenge. Fatigue is obviously an issue at this stage like for other people who have been in the front line.”