The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) has today (Monday, January 25) lost its High Court challenge against the government decision to exclude hare coursing from being permitted under Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions.
The ICC was before the High Court seeking to overturn Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly’s decision to exclude the activity from the revised statutory instrument.
On December 1, hare coursing was included in S.I. 560/2020 of the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) Regulations 2020. This legislation is now amended, resulting in coursing not being permitted under the Level 5 status of the country since Christmas Eve.
One of the first to strongly respond to today’s news is the Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports, who said it found “the breathtakingly selfish and arrogant stance adopted by the ICC obnoxious in the extreme”.
Ahead of the weekend, Gardaí have once again called on the public not to flout the COVID-19 restrictions, in order to help stem the spread of the virus.
The call comes after An Garda Síochána revealed they have issued more than 400 fines for non-essential travel since they commenced enforcing fines for breaches of the travel restrictions on Monday of last week.
Gardaí said the vast majority of those, more than 300, were issued over the past weekend for suspected incidents under Operation Fanacht for breaches of public heath regulations relating to non-essential travel. As of last Friday evening (January 15), 74 fines for non-essential travel had been processed. The fines issued over the weekend will now be checked and processed. Once these are processed, definitive figures will be available later this week, said a Garda spokesperson.
Gardaí deploy Public Order Unit and arrest six men and five women at protest in Dublin
20 Jan 2021
Gardaí arrested 11 people following a protest outside the High Court in Dublin today.
The Garda Press Office said that people began gathering outside the Four Courts from 9.45am this morning and that gardaí initially engaged with them and asked them to leave the area.
After a persistent lack of compliance with Covid-19 restrictions and the directions of gardaí, the Public Order Unit was then deployed to the area and some of those who refused to give names and addresses were arrested.
In all, six men and five women were arrested and brought to four different garda stations.
David Raleigh
Gardaí have begun an investigation into “potential breaches” of the Health Act, in connection with a funeral held in the Munster area.
Citing Covid-19 regulations, gardaí are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in relation to potential breaches at a removal service which took place in a rural area.
An informed source said between 150-200 people were observed at the removal; that a considerable number of those in attendance did not wear a mask; and that there was widespread shaking of hands.
Gardai are seeking to prosecute an undertaker who it is alleged rented another undertaker’s funeral home where the removal was held and will argue that the removal was an illegal event under Covid-19 regulations.
File on Golfgate investigation sent to Director of Public Prosecutions
The Oireachtas Golf Society guests are said to have been split into two separate groups to keep under the 50-person limit. By Gráinne Ní Aodha Thursday 21 Jan 2021, 9:08 AM Jan 21st 2021, 9:08 AM 13,082 Views 3 Comments
Image: Shutterstock/Branko Jovanovic
Image: Shutterstock/Branko Jovanovic
GARDAÍ HAVE SENT a file in relation to the Golfgate dinner to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Gardaí confirmed to
TheJournal.ie today that a file in relation to political controversy – where elected representatives, former politicians, and a judge were accused of breaching the Covid-19 restrictions at the time – has been forwarded to the DPP.