PEOPLE who have already travelled to their holiday homes in the Republic for the bank holiday weekend must stay there, the Garda Commissioner has said.
The Republic's health minister Simon Harris signed beefed-up regulations on Tuesday night to give gardai the power to issue specific fines for breaches and potentially detain people who are refusing to self-isolate.
Drew Harris said new laws to enforce compliance with coronavirus restrictions will end at midnight on Easter Sunday.
"If you are already in a holiday home then you need to stay there as that is your place of residence," he said.
He asked people to refrain from travelling to their holiday homes this weekend.
"If you are thinking of travelling there, then don't. That is not an essential journey. So if you have travelled to your holiday home - that is where you are now. That is your place of residence and that will be regarded as where you should be.
"I want to reiterate, a journey to a holiday home is not an essential journey and we will be able to turn you back."
He said there will be 50 checkpoints around the state over the weekend but they expect most people to comply.
Mr Harris said if people are stopped by gardai and found to be in breach of the regulations, they would not be arrested immediately.
"There is no on-the-spot fines. The first port of call would not be arrest, it would be taking a member's name and address.
"We hope to see very few requirements to use the regulations and we will rely on the vast majority of society to comply with the measures.
"We want to be proportionate...they may be asked to return home, they may be asked to change their behaviour, whatever that is. But people will be given the opportunity to comply, before we go anywhere near enforcement powers."
