Public fear getting fined for crossing border ‘without reasonable excuse’

The step has been taken by the Irish government in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Anyone engaged in cross-border travel in breach of Ireland’s Covid-19 restrictions will be fined €100 (£88).

Gardaí (Irish police) have said the new rules will be enforced from 07:00 local time on Monday 8 February.

But NI residents who have to cross the border for essential work or essential purposes, such as seeking medical treatment, will be exempt from fines.

Public health guidance in NI says people “should not travel in or out of Northern Ireland except where it is essential to do so”.

The new rules are the latest in a series of decisions aimed at reducing travel to and within the Republic of Ireland, but it is the first time that people from Northern Ireland will face financial penalties for non-essential cross-border travel.

The Republic of Ireland is currently enforcing the state’s highest level of lockdown, known as “level five” in the Irish government’s five-stage plan for managing Covid-19.

___________________________________________________________________

A message from our editor: Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a copy of the paper. You can also support trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription of the News Letter.