"Don't leave county unless it's essential" - Garda warning after long tailbacks on N7, N4
Gardaí have strongly advised motorists that they should stay within their counties until it's necessary to leave for work or education.
There were morning tailbacks stretching several km on the N7 and N4 outbound this morning as large 'super checkpoints' funneled three lanes into one lane in some places.
There was also a checkpoint on the M7 near the Junction 14 Mayfield service station and the N81 outside Blessington.
Some angry motorists said on social media that they spent over 60 minutes in traffic tailbacks while trying to get to work.
A Garda spokesperson said: "Gardaí were out this morning conducting checkpoints on the N4 between Junction (5 and 6 of the N7) as part of Operation Fanacht.
"An Gardaí Síochána are encouraging people not to travel out of their county unless it is for essential purposes."
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told a Fine Gael party meeting last night that a system of graduated fines, which could include a €200 penalty for leaving your county, should be considered.
However there are no plans at present for a new system of fines.
Operation Fanacht involve 132 large-scale checkpoints a day on main arterial routes around the country in addition to thousands of mobile checkpoints on secondary routes in towns and villages a week.
Commissioner Drew Harris said, "An Garda Síochána’s priority is keeping people safe. This will be a major policing operation across the country with high visibility of Garda members to support public health measures.
"An Garda Síochána is encouraging people not to travel out of their county unless it is for essential purposes.
"We want to advise people that will be conducting major checkpoints on main routes and travelling by road from tomorrow will be different from travelling today. People using the roads are likely to face delays.
"Since the start of the pandemic, An Garda Síochána has adopted a graduated policing approach based on its tradition of consent. We have seen compliance by the vast majority of the public with this approach. Independent surveys have also found significant public support for it. We will continue to police in this way.
"We have also had a strong focus on the protecting and supporting the vulnerable. That will continue as well. If you need our help, please contact your local Garda station.
"As an organisation rooted in the community, An Garda Síochána understands the difficulties these measures place on everybody. More than ever, we all need to work together and adhere to public health guidelines and regulations to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and save lives.”