GARDAÍ IN DUBLIN seized a large amount of alcohol and closed a premises last night as it conducted checks to ensure businesses are operating within the Covid-19 guidelines.

As part of Operation Navigation, An Garda Síochána is conducting nationwide checks of licenced premises following concerns that some pubs weren’t adhering to the public health guidelines.

Pubs that are permitted to open in Phase Three must serve a substantial meal to customers and ensure social distancing on the premises.

Gardaí said that they searched a premises allegedly operating as a restaurant in Dublin yesterday. 

They observed breaches of Covid-19 regulations and the premises was also in breach of pre-existing liquor licencing legislation. 

A “large quantity of alcohol” was also seized by gardaí.

On Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Policing and Security John Twomey said: “When licenced premises were initially shut under the public health guidelines An Garda Síochána checked thousands of licensed premises to ensure they remained closed, which the vast, vast majority did.

Our intention in this latest phase was to conduct a large number of spot-checks of licensed premises.

However, it now appears that just a few days after their introduction some licensed premises and their customers are ignoring the public health guidelines. By doing so, they are putting themselves and everyone they then come into contact with at risk of getting Covid-19. This is not acceptable and we are now expanding our planned checks.