Simon Harris has signed an order, enforcing emergency powers for Gardaí during the Covid-19 crisis,

Speaking on Prime Time yesterday evening, the Minister for Health said that people across the country have been very compliant and this just is a precaution, a reserve measure so to speak. Mr Harris met with The Taoiseach, the Chief Medical Officer, the Attorney General and the Garda Commissioner and it was decided that this order would come into effect. "The Garda Commissioner was very clear in this regard, the level of compliance is very high, the Irish people are being super but it is important that Gardaí have these powers in their back pocket so if they do need enforcement powers, they have them".

Minister for Health Simon Harris has said he will be signing regulations tonight to give gardaí powers to enforce Covid-19 restrictions | https://t.co/wdaZ8k3hDX pic.twitter.com/QmZLeHtnRB

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 7, 2020

Mr Harris, who signed the order last night, said the Gardaí will continue their normal strategy of working with the people and assisting the communities and these powers will only be used if necessary. These will allow Gardaí the right to ensure people return to their home if breaking restrictions, they had only been able to advise the public up until now. Yesterday, concerns were expressed that people would break the current travel ban over the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend with reports of popular hotspots in the West of Ireland becoming busier in recent days. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has asked people to stay away from their holiday homes and avoid visiting caravan parks, in keeping with the current restrictions of staying within a 2km distance of your home. An update on the timeline of the current measures is expected later in the week.