The Assistant Commissioner, recently appointed to head up the Southern Garda Region, has been visiting Covid-19 checkpoints in Co Clare this afternoon.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn, who also retains responsibility for the Eastern Region on a temporary basis, met with members of the force on a visit to the county today.
The Assistant Commissioner visited a checkpoint in Ennis along with Superintendent Brendan McDonagh before travelling to another checkpoint in Shannon.
Uniformed Gardaà and detectives mounted a checkpoint on the old Gort Road in Ennis, stopping drivers, checking they were operating within government guidelines regarding travel, and checking passes of those allowed to travel for work.
Since his appointment last month, Mr Finn has been conducting a tour of the Southern Region which comprises counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare.
It’s over a week now since Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced new public health guidelines asking members of the public people to stay in their homes to assist the effort to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Since then Gardaà across the country have increased patrols and mounted checkpoints where they have been asking motorists why they are out and where they are going.
Gardaà are however still waiting for the Government to sign into the law new regulations enabling members use the emergency powers enacted over two weeks ago.
It’s expected that the new regulations will be issued within days and while the legislation was signed into law by President Michael D Higgins last week , it cannot be enforced by Gardaà until the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, signs off on them first.
