SIMON HARRIS THIS evening said he will sign regulations which will give gardaí the powers to enforce Covid-19 distancing measures tonight. 

Gardaí have been carrying out hundreds of checkpoints and found that the vast majority of the public have been complying with the government’s recommendations made in mid-March relating to social distancing. 

However, gardaí were effectively powerless to deal with cases where people did not comply with regulations.

But speaking on RTE’s Prime Time programme tonight, Harris said he would sign the new regulations following a meeting with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and the Attorney General.

It means that gardaí will now be able to arrest those who do not abide by Covid-19 restrictions, including those who exercise more than 2km away from their homes or people who travel for non-essential purposes.

Those who are convicted face a maximum of six months in prison and a fine of €2,500.