Garda checkpoints will be in place from tonight on major motorways around the country

Gardaí will be putting 132 checkpoints across the country from tonight on main routes, including motorways, to ensure that people are complying with Covid-19 regulations.

Level 3 restrictions come into place from midnight and with them comes Operation Fanacht, a system designed to ensure that people stay within the confines of their own county.

Announcing the news, Garda Commission Drew Harris said that “travelling tomorrow is going to a lot different to travelling today”. He added that motorists should expect delays on major routes, saying: “we are putting checkpoints on the motorways, that’s going to slow down traffic flow.”

While Operation Fanacht is designed to ensure compliance, Gardaí will not be given any additional powers to police the Covid-19 restrictions. Officers will be focusing on ‘three E’s’ when dealing with motorists – ‘engage, educate and encourage’.

All counties are scheduled to remain in level 3 until midnight on Tuesday, October 27.

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