Paul McAuliffe
Question:107. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health his plans for changes in legislation to ensure better enforcement and adherence to Covid-19 guidelines. [31134/20]
View answerTuesday, 3 November 2020
Questions (107)
Written answers
It is vital that people in Ireland adhere to public health guidance and advice in order to suppress the spread of Covid 19 and the vast majority of people in Ireland are doing just that. Unfortunately, however, enforcement is sometimes required but always as a last resort. In that respect, the Deputy will be aware that the Health (Amendment) Act 2020 was passed by the Oireachtas on 23 October last.
The Act provides for penal provisions under the Health Act 1947 to be prescribed as fixed penalty provisions meaning that persons alleged to have committed an offence under a fixed penalty provision may pay a fixed penalty in lieu of prosecution. It provides that on prosecution, different levels of penalties may apply to first, second and third and subsequent offences under the Act. Finally, it provides for provisions to be prescribed as dwelling event provisions meaning that if a Garda reasonably suspects a breach of such a provision, he or she may attend at the entrance to the private dwelling and direct persons to leave that private dwelling or the vicinity of that private dwelling.
The fixed penalty notice offences and the level of penalties to apply will be determined in regulations which my Department is working on, in consultation with the Minister for Justice.