Garda checkpoints find high level of compliance
A number of holidaymakers who travelled to the south Wexford area over recent days were told by gardaí to go home at checkpoints.
New Ross Garda Superintendent John McDonald said the vast majority of people stopped at checkpoints from Balliniry cross on the Duncannon Line to Wellingtonbridge have been on legitimate journeys.
He said reports of people being in caravan parks proved to be false.
‘Almost all caravan parks are closed down. The vast majority of people being stopped at our checkpoints in Duncannon, Wellingtonbridge and Ballymitty are people who are shopping, going to or returning from work.’
He said some people did travel to their holiday homes prior to garda enforcement legislation coming into effect on Wednesday.
Supt McDonald said there is no way of knowing the numbers involved, adding that some people may have arrived since Wednesday.
‘ Two of my colleagues were on the beaches and at Duncannon at midday on Thursday there wasn’t one person. People living near Duncannon are entitled to walk on the beach if it lies within a 2km radius of their house. People would have travelled down prior to the Government and police announcement. They travelled for different reasons.’
Supt McDonald said people should know that they are not to travel beyond the 2km limit unless it is for a vital reason.
‘People are seeing a lot of traffic on the roads but people are entitled to go shopping.’
A four stage request policy is in place at checkpoints.
‘We are engaging people in relation to their compliance with it. The steps are: engage, explain, encourage and enforce. As a very, very last resort we would engage and use our powers to arrest someone.’
He said the medical advice is very clear. ‘We people are still reluctant we encourage them to comply and emphasise once again the benefits from a health viewpoint that people stay in their homes, if people are non compliant they face (up to) a €2,500 fine or six months in jail.’
‘It’s a route we can go down but we don’t want to. Certainly people have been turned back because they haven’t given a reasonable explanation why they’ve taken the journey. I know there is a lot of concern that anyone would do this but we are not encountering vast numbers of people who have travelled. Why would they travel when everywhere is closed anyway?’
He said it is very disappointing when totally self centred people get into their car and drive to Co Wexford with the possible deadly health implications for others.
‘ To undertake a long distance journey from their normal residence to their holiday residence, I think it’s totally inconsiderate as people have compromised health situations and you have frontline personnel putting their lives at risk to help us all through this and it’s putting undue pressure on garda resources that have to try and tackle other crimes.’
Supt McDonald thanked the public for their compliance across the district. ‘ The vast majority have been very understanding of what we have been trying to do.’
He acknowledged the sacrifices made by his colleagues, many of whom have been working extended shifts to man checkpoints over recent days and in the coming weeks.