Over 9,000 fixed charge notices have been issued to date for breaches of Covid-19 rules, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has told the Dáil.
During a debate on the quarantining legislation, Minister McEntee said that the figure included 300 notices for fines of €500 for non-essential international travel.
The 300 notices were issued over the past two to three weeks. She urged people who do not need to travel "not to do so". Minister McEntee reminded TDs of the graduated response being deployed by gardaí: the so-called "four Es" approach, of engage, educate, encourage and as a last resort enforce.
Regarding mandatory quarantine, Minister McEntee said that it was important to remember what an extraordinary measure it is.