Hundreds of people have been fined after being caught more than 5km from home over the weekend.
Many more were given cautions and sent home after being stopped at Garda checkpoints, as the force ramped up enforcement of the Public Health Act.
Gardai had only issued 37 on-the-spot fines of €100 under their new Public Heath Act powers up to Thursday.
But it’s becoming clear that then there’s been a massive increase in the number of people ticketed – so many, in fact, that Garda Headquarters is still counting them all.
In Co Wicklow alone, more than 170 people were fined, 100-plus on Saturday and at least 70 more on Sunday with 400 drivers sent home with a caution.
More than 30 were ticketed at just one checkpoint at Newcastle Woods in Co Roscommon on Sunday, and seventy other drivers given a warning.
It’s understood similar levels of enforcement have taken place in all parts of the country.
Full figures for the Kilkenny Carlow Division are due later.
Meanwhile a group stopped on the M7 near Newbridge in Co Kildare on Saturday night saw all fined for making an unnecessary journey with the car seized from the uninsured driver.
Another driver was arrested for dangerous driving after being caught speeding on the M1 near Ardee in Co Louth — and he also got a fixed-charge notice for being over 100 kilometres from home.
