Another 88 on the spot fines have been issued for breaches of COVID-19 regulations by An Garda Síochána in Galway in the past week.
There had been a total of 866 fines issued by Gardaí in Galway as of Thursday, up from 778 in last week’s figures.
Nationwide there have been 16,834 on the spot fines issued across the range of all COVID-19 breaches including travel beyond the 5km limit, organising or attending an event, refusing to wear a mask, or non-essential travel specifically to airports and ports.
There has been a significant uptick in the amount of people being fined €500 for organising house parties, with 102 issued in the past week, bringing the total up to 612 fines.
There have been 2,159 people fined €100 for attending an event to date, which is an increase of 317 on last week. And another 24 people have been fined for not wearing a mask where required.
Breaking the 5km travel limit remains by far the most frequent event for which fines are issued, with 1,264 issued in the past week alone.
The Cork City Garda Division still has the highest number of fines issued, with 1,808 to date, followed by Dublin North (1,504), Dublin West (1,158), and Limerick (1,150).
One quarter of all fines which have been issued by Gardaí remain unpaid as of this week, or have already resulted in a court summons being issued. Just over one third of all fines issued since the system was introduced have been paid in full.
Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon said, “On behalf of everyone in An Garda Síochána I want to thank the vast majority of people who are helping to protect Gardaí by following public health advice. Your sacrifice and support is very much appreciated. We know it is hard, but please keep it up.”
“Unfortunately, despite the constant public health advice, we are still seeing people attending house parties and other large social gatherings. Going to such gatherings puts yourself, your loved ones, and everyone else you come into contact with after of getting COVID-19.”
“Everyone has a role to play in this. 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.”
