We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
GARDA COMMISSIONER DREW Harris has said that gardaí are seeing an “awful lot of compliance” with Covid-19 restrictions, but also witnessing “irresponsible behaviour which is risking lives in the end”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show, Harris also said that An Garda Síochána does not “regard a dentist’s appointment in Tenerife as being a reasonable excuse to travel”.
He said he hopes that greater penalties will “send a message” in terms of non-essential international travel.
Harris made the remarks following reports yesterday that Irish people were booking appointments at a dental clinic on the Spanish island so they can go on holiday.
He said: “Medical intervention, medical treatment is allowed for in the regulations but that is against the clause about how reasonable it is. I would suggest that travelling to Tenerife, thousands of kilometres, whenever there are perfectly good dentists here in Ireland is not reasonable. From this morning we have changed our approach, we warned people that they may be prosecuted if they carry on on their journey.
We have found that the €500 fine is perhaps not the deterrent we thought it might be, but we found out today that people have turned back rather than be prosecuted and have a criminal record and risk actually imprisonment or a suspended sentence which is far greater penalty than a €500 fixed penalty notice. There is travel for medical purposes which obviously is essential, people travelling for critical treatment.
The Garda Commissioner said that the organisation has “strong operational capability” at present and that they adopted an enforcement approach to situations like shebeens and some travel restrictions in recent times.
When questioned on the potential infringement on civil liberties, Harris said that the gardaí had been given “extraordinary powers” which are “almost beyond imagine 18 months ago”.
He said: “They make me nervous in so much as we must have some set clauses and cut off points and that’s what’s built into our legislation in any case. There’s a huge amount of checks and balances in our system.”
Harris also discussed his experience of having Covid-19 over Christmas.
He described it as “mild but unpleasant” and that he counted himself fortunate.
Father’s death
Harris also told Ryan Tubridy that he has worked hard not to be bitter after his father was killed by the IRA.
The senior officer’s father Alwyn, a Superintendent in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), died in a car bomb attack in 1989.
Harris had also been an officer in the RUC at the time.
He remained in the force when it became the Police Service of Northern Ireland and rose to the rank of Deputy Chief Constable before taking on the top job at the Garda in 2018.
“It takes a long time to come to terms with something as difficult, as traumatic and as awful in your life, and you carry it with you every day,” he told The Late Late Show.
“Every day I would think about my father, but in terms of me as a police officer and now the Garda Commissioner, what it means to me is I think I have an empathy for those who have been the victim of serious crime.
“In lots of ways it has had a profound effect on my outlook at to what policing should be … and what we should do for those who are without a voice or might be marginalised in society.”
He said he has worked hard at not being bitter.
“In these things you have perhaps a choice, I was married to Jane, we had our first son and then we had another three children after that, and you have a choice in terms of the household your children are going to grow up into, and so I worked hard at not being bitter,” he said.
“I don’t mean to be smart or clever, or shine a halo when I say that, because it was very difficult and it took a long time to get to that point, but at the same time you have your own life to live and nobody would be more upset than my father if he though I was just living an embittered life.”
Asked if he felt the need to forgive the killers, Harris said he was neutral on that.
“They have never sought atonement, and forgiveness is a two-way street,” he said.
With reporting from the Press Association
But having 4 young people travel to Montrose in order to talk about how hard the dating scene is in order to promote an RTE tv programme is essential?? Give me strength
@NotMyIreland: As long as people like you take every opportunity they can to point fingers and call for more punishment for those they believe are to blame then I’ll keep going. Thank you for the input though.
@JedBartlett: As much as i didn’t enjoy it, that in itself is low risk and contributes to safely managed TV entertainment which helps people at home right now. Similar to why they allow some of the elite sports continue. Last year i didn’t agree with the decision to leave inter county GAA continue, until i realised how many people looked forward to watching them games from home every weekend.
@JedBartlett: Says the man pointing fingers! Which incidentally if you look at my posts I don’t do.
@JedBartlett: could they have been living within 5km of the studios? I missed the segment so that may already have been clarified one way or the other.
@JedBartlett: 4 ppl!! oh god!!!! Will someone think of the children! this is shocking! why isn’t there an article about this!??and not some stu#id comment from a bore!!
@Martin Gordon: Ha! Good man Martin. Of course there should be no article about 4 people but yet there are numerous articles and a national focus about approx 50 people booking dental apps in Tenerife. Probably makes sense to a tiny mind though
@JedBartlett: you make lots of sense there jed good girl !!
@JedBartlett: I can’t believe they deleted my comment asking you to stop with the negativity?? Whats that about thejournal.ie? You obviously want to sow division and encourage more anger online. Good for the clicks? Your poll on government coalitions is a perfect example of this? Why run such a divisive poll when we are no where near an election year? And in a time when everyone should be encouraging togetherness and unity, you decide to knowingly publish such divisive polls and increase the opportunity for anger and hatred to be spread. Shame on you as a publication. Quite Trumpian of a publication that raves about his divisiveness.
@Martin Gordon: and there’s the misogynist. The pandemic has also given sexism the green light. “Don’t like what another man says? Forget giving a reasonable response. Instead, call them a female because everyone knows that wоmen are weaker and not as intelligent as men.”
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: OK relax miss
@Martin Gordon: You could do with learning some grammar. Your misogyny seems to be occupying that part of your brain.
@NotMyIreland: I agree. The censorship of some comments beggars belief. I can’t see what grounds your comment might have been removed under.
@D. Memery: 5km only applies to exercise limit. An inessential journey is just that.
Fundamentally, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris needs to understand that he is law enforcement not law interpretation. He should fulfil his obligation with these laws as any other: as stated. Very dangerous situation where Garda feel that they have a role deciding when laws should be applied based upon reasonability.
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: How is it a dangerous situation, they have always had the discretion on enforcing laws or not, they can choose to arrest or not arrest, its what they are trained for,,,,,
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: Well said, this is a bigger problem than everyone thinks. The “do what I say or else” way of policing still exists in Ireland.
@Adam J: They have the ability not to penalise you for a infringement. However, that is for an established law as stated. If the law states that medical treatment is within the regulation, then it is. It’s for legislation to modify the regulation, if so warranted.
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: you need to take a long hard look at yourself. People getting letters from a dentist overseas just so they can go on holiday? No show with the dentist then?
@Coimeádach na hÉireann:It seems a lot are making “appointments” but not showing up, so as to go on holiday. Why else would you “turn around” if your medical reasos were legitimate? Flights are so cheap that it seems the €500 fines wasn’t much of a deterrent. There’s a way around everything if you look hard enough!!
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: it’s called garda discretion
@Martin Gordon: Looks like Martin has crawled out of bed. Finally.
@JedBartlett: even us journal trolls can sleep in on a Saturday morning
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: is that right,, so if you are doing 61 kph in a 60 zone they should throw the book at you and hit you with a big fine??? Or should the guard take a bit of common sense, or interpretation??
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: the word ‘reasonable’ is written in to a lot of criminal legislation. It’s nothing new. Like legislation over a longer period it becomes clear what would be deemed reasonable as cases hit court.
Discretion is slowly dying out in an garda siochana the last few years. They have less authority to use it from management. Be careful what you wish for. It will end up with more people being prosecuted when they usually wouldn’t instead of the other way around.
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: correct and the legislation clearly states you can travel for medical purposes. If the Gardaí try to prosecute for travelling for a medical appt, they will lose if it goes to the high court. It just requires someone to take a case. Whatever you feel morally about the travellers involved, the Gardaí cannot prosecute under current legislation. They’re using scare tactics In the hope to deter.
@CSR: I’d have to agree. While I think the people who are using this as an excuse to go on holiday are muppets, I’m not sure I like the idea of a Garda deciding whether or not a medical appointment is essential. All it will take is for one person to refuse to pay the fine and get summoned to court and the whole thing falls apart.
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: the world full of experts.
He is enforcing the law, if you disagree then bring it to court but it can’t be interpreted any other way until then
@CSR: little confused I think.
They absolutely can prosecute. It’s for you to argue your case and the court to decide
I had a tooth absces in mid November. Local dentists told me it would be January before they could see me.I kid you not. The reality is you might need a dentist in Ireland as an emergency and get seen in Tenerife or Hungary or UAE weeks sooner and hundreds cheaper.
@Conor Kilgallon: and because of a few muppets now you wont have that option. But its ok cause jonno had a great holiers in tenerife
@Conor Kilgallon: Go to the dental hospital or any emergency department for your abscess.
@Conor Kilgallon: Good point fairly made. The issue here is, the destists in question are standing around scratching their @rse, while the people who made the appointment are off topping up their tan without so much as a courtesy phone call to cancel the appointment. Hypothetically, you have a point. What do you think the reality is ?
@Brian Dunne: Vaa Can we not call him Fintan or Hugh, something middle class … calling him Jonno implies it is working class people breaking the rules
@Stephen: lets just call him richard or dic k
@David Connell: Thats the domain of the dental profession buddy. That’s their professional domain and obligation. It is sign of failure on the part of dental profession if in 2021 the A and E depts are clogged by cases that were dealt prompty and adequately by the dentists in 1980.
@Brian Dunne: I was being humorpus Brian. The irony is that although it is likely that the ‘dental travellers’ are not genuine, the reality that an Irish citizen soliciting emergency dental care will receive it more promptly outside of the ROI than inside it in actual fact, is !
@Conor Kilgallon: The whole point is that the people were not turning up for their appointments which were bogus.
@Aine O Connor: But ironically it highlighted the reality behind their falsehood. That is the point I am making. Are you with me Aine?
@Conor Kilgallon: A mate travelled from Oz to Ireland to get dental treatment. It was a good bit of work, he saved thousands. Met a dentist at a wedding in Poland a few years ago, he said he got lots of people travelling from Ireland to get treatment who just couldn’t afford it here.
The late late show is the pits of tv now
@Sparky: has been since Gay Byrne stepped down,that’s why haven’t watched it in years
The opening guest, the head of the gardai talking about punishment for breaking rules, just incase people were trying to be a bit upbeat for the weekend.
@Darren Lambe: its unreal darren. Covid on the news. Covid on prime time. Covid on claire byrne. Then on fri night… covid! Give us 2 hrs of light entertainment please rte.
@Brian Dunne: No chance of that. Tubridy is a puppet. The only decent show on RTE is Tommy Tiernan on a Saturday night.
@Darren Lambe: yeah tommy is brilliant i have to say. Great to see someone just chatting to the guest without a script.
@Darren Lambe: it’s almost like covid is a very serious potentially lethal virus that people need to be constantly reminded about so as to maintain vigilance and not drop their guard.
@Ronan Fahy: So there is no room for any light entertainment while this virus persists then?
@Ronan Fahy: Have a day off Ronan. Its rammed down our throat 24/7. No harm in giving it a rest on a Friday night, unless you enjoy the misery that is.
100 % support the Gardai nobody should be going abroad during a pandemic and I hope everyone coming back gets a €2000 fine, you don’t know what variants they are bringing back into the country. Muppets!
@Jamo: free country, perfectly fine to go abroad sensibly and get testing either side. For a lot of people lockdown level 5 is the equivalent of quarantining so not a sacrifice to make, easy to quarantine and work fro home. prefer to be stuck in 20 degree heat than looking out the window here for 6 weeks. Medical appointment is within the rules and your finger pointing should be at the vaccine rollout failure..
@K Flan: I haven’t seen my parents since Christmas as I’m abiding by the rules until the vaccine gets rolled out why are some people so keen to get away? Everybody is in the same situation so suck it up and get on with it or are people that desperate to update their instragram photos?
@Jamo: I haven’t seen my family either, and abiding by the rules. But all indications from government are you won’t see them until late summer at the earliest, and vaccine rollout god knows when. Places like the canaries have low covid count and can be done sensibly with testing either side. the climate here and the fact that everything is closed is a good reason for people to get out of here. I am against the media and government shaming of people who do go abroad. It is a free choice. There is realistically a higher risk of picking up covid in a supermarket in Ireland.
@K Flan: get this, it is not a free country in present circumstance, it is a strictly controlled country.
What part of closedown , travel restrictions, stay at home, avoid mixing, etc, etc, do you not get.
It will become freer when muttonheads adhere to the rules & the bug is not rampant.
@Jamo: You haven’t seen your parents since Christmas? I haven’t seen mine since the summer, and I had to quarantine for 2 weeks when I came back. Now I am told I may get a criminal record if I fly to see them next summer!
Any type of major dental work in Ireland is prohibitively expensive so it could be argued that dental work abroad is essential.
@Cookie: Yes, it could be argued. The issue here is people are booking the appointments and not showing up. The dentist’s are trying to make a living like everyone else, but the have days of standing around waiting while Paddy is off strolling along the beachfront. Potentially, it could be planes full of emergency dental treatments. What do you think the reality is ?
@Cookie: the point is these genuine reasons are being undermined by the chancers just wanting a holiday and having no respect for the law or their fellow citizens . I have missed 4 scheduled trips since March last year and I’m not happy about it but I am going to stick with the recommendations.
@Cookie: my last 3 fillings cost 400 quid
@Cookie: can you point out where the law makes an allowance based on cost comparisons?
It’s a shame Mr Harris wasn’t asked about golfgate. It’s a shame he wasn’t asked about how they will police people who are being asked to quarantine at home for two weeks. It’s a shame Mr Harris was not asked about the growing knive crimes in Dublin City Centre. Instead he was asked about his faith.
@Chris E Clancy Wilson:
A, golfgate is currently with the dpp after being investigated
B, how would he know until the law exists?
C, there’s a dedicated Garda unit specifically for knife crime just established.
Anything else?
@Karl: people have been asked to quarantine at home for nearly a year now, when they arrive in Ireland. Surely he has some idea on how to police it by now.
Any wonder RTE is loosing millions Tubridy didnt even ask him why he tried to stop an Investigation into British state collusion. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.relativesforjustice.com/drew-harris-must-resign-in-light-of-glenanne-judgment/&ved=2ahUKEwiBo9X3xObuAhXyt3EKHQ_RDioQFjAIegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw3kM_VcOHTW-KjHm863VYkT
I have most likely asthma, after having Covid last March i couldn’t afford going to a doctor, as I had no job. Eventually decided to go to figure out why I have the persistent cough that sometimes is forcing me to blackout. I was sent to to do test for 600 euros. I can’t afford that, I will be afford to go to Poland and do all the tests, for the fraction of this sum, is this essential travel?
@Krystian #PL2050: yes medical appointments allowed. whatever the commissioner says.
@Krystian #PL2050: get a job, problem sorted
@Krystian #PL2050: get a medical card or the tests on the public system.
@larry bird: lazy bird response
@Karl: aparently there is no such a test available in public hospitals, and in terms of medical card, I’ll leave it to those who need it more.
@larry bird: and you think that paying 600 euros for a test, for soemthing so common as asthma is a normal price? Really? 16 years of paying PRSI gives me nothing?
Harris let ‘open’ his heart about personal loss during the troubles. That interview last night, in essence a real time portrait of modern Irish pseudojournalism, Tubridy, Harrris and one giant elephant in the same room.
@Conor Kilgallon: Pity he couldnt open is heart to the victims of Loaylist and British state terrorism. He tried is black best to stop an investigation into collusion.
@Seamus Donnelly: go to bed james
@Conor Kilgallon: What are you referring to – is it the murder of Drew Harris’ father by the IRA?
@Mark Reilly: Great input Mark.
@Seamus Donnelly: Well no fear of that Seamus when that was never ever on the RTE agenda….hence the pachyderm in the room
@Fionn Darland: No. Its the cloud over him in regard to a state police colluding with paramilitaries. I thought that wouks be obvious to you. Does your magic finger not work any more?
@Fionn Darland: The fact Harris has blocked investigation into British state sponcered terrorism is glossed over by the media..Wouldn’t expect Tubridy for on second to ask a question on this. Tubridy has to protect the status quo.
Why didn’t he ask him about blocking investigation collusion between ruc and loyalist gangs. Compare this to the disgraceful interview’s with Adams an mcguinness.. the bias shown by rte is shameful…
@Padraig O’Shea: Why do you think?
They have the ability not to penalise you for a infringement. However, that is for an established law as stated. If the law states that medical treatment is within the regulation, then it is. It’s for legislation to modify the regulation, if so warranted.
@Coimeádach na hÉireann: nope
What happens when the pandemic is over? Will Gardai still have these “extraordinary powers”??
@Stevie Pyne: No, he said they all have ‘sun set’ clauses meaning they are for a certain period only. Clearly if the pandemic risk is gone, there would be no need to restrict movements to save lives.
@Fionn Darland: what about climate change …?
@Fionn Darland: There was once the British Empire. They say the sunset never fell on the British empire. You see Fionn, you have to be careful how you use language. ‘Sunset’ becomes relative and imprecise when used figuratively, outside of the narrow context for which the word was meant, ie. an actual term to name and describe a specific event of limited duration, at days end.
@Conor Kilgallon: It was not used figuratively as he said it expires in March and is subject to renewal at that time so there are ‘checks and balances’ as he put it.
Was he asked about collusion?
@Stephen: Course he wasn’t. It was Tubridy and RTE not Christopher Hitchens or David Frost.
Authorities getting their teeth into it now.
The head of the gestapo more like
Best comment of the night when tubbs asked him if he was very religious.. In other words are you a true PROD.. got a laugh.
@Splat: It would have been if that was the spirit in which the question had been asked. But I don’t think that is the case.
He wasn’t asked about what’s he going to with the RTÉ staff that where having a party last year.
Drew You get private insurance? Why should you are any one else in Ireland be different this is what is NOW coming out MONEY TALKS Every one else walks
@Charles Shelly: he doesn’t get it from his job. Maybe he buys it himself, who knows. What’s your point?
@Charles Shelly: he might, so what? He makes more than you as well. Probable because he progressed in an important career
Money talks every one else walks..That’s why we have 3 class’s + in Ireland
Using a dentist in Tenerife as an excuse to travel would be deplorable.
But if you’ve been going to that dentist for the last ten years, then you have every right to continue doing so.
I know Irish people who go to Prague and Budapest to see their dentist, and have been for 10/15 years or more. And they have every right to continue doing so. I’ve only ever had one good dentist in Ireland, the other three I’ve tried have been pretty shoddy.
Or wait 3 months in Galway I had too last June
So now we have civil liberties and law being interpreted by The Gardai. Totally subjective. This thing of penalising people for travel is nothing but a distraction tactic for having done nothing with the health system for a year. The virus is here long term and we can’t continue to put life on hold because some people “might” die. Is there even a time limit built in to these measures?
@Ainm: who else interprets the law when it’s new? It’s always the Gardai because they use the law and then afterwards the courts get their say
Can’t understand why there isn’t an online application for essential travel. If they agree that your travel is necessary a cert should be given to show gardai and airport officials.
@James Richard Kinsella: excellent idea, no need for gardai checking ordinary people in airports and reassign them to the likes of meat plants, nursing homes, construction sites, any places allowed to be open etc etc. only prop would there would be a tender for it, then a massive contract given to some FGer family, would takes years, run over cost by an obscene multiple of the bid and end up being a defective product.
@James Richard Kinsella: how would it be any different though? Gardai still needed. Summertime still makes the decision.
Just adding paper
Nphet is running the country, the garda are diagnosing dental essential work , whats next the media pushing an agenda free journalism ??? That’ll never happen
Ain’t no fury like a dentist scorned
what about a bunch of guards doing a dumb dance
@ed w: was great wasn’t it? And all within their work bubble and workplace
Great- I completely Agree. So fine each person €2000 on their return. That will put a stop to their gallop.
have your say