Checkpoints are in place across Waterford City and County to ensure people are only taking necessary journeys.
Sergeant Alan Toft is the Sergeant in Charge of Dungarvan Garda Station told WLR NEWS
"In general people have been compliant, but we have noticed certain amenity areas where people have been going to and in
conjunction with the local council we have organised for a number of car parks to be shut and this seems to have the right effect,
the likes of Clonea or Colligan Wood. Unfortunately we have had incidents where people from as far away as Kilkenny have
turned up at Clonea Beach, we have had people having picnics in Colligan Wood with their children which is totally unacceptable
in the current climate. You should only be travelling 2 km and it should not be the case where you have to get in the car to travel for
exercise. If you can't do in within walking distance you should stay at home.
He says it's not only cars that they are stopping
"The likes of buses, the local link that's travelling in from Tallow and Cappoquin, we are now boarding those buses and we are ascertaining what
people are travelling for and what their reason is for traveling. We have come across instances where people are just coming in out West for the
day to get into Dungarvan because like everyone else they are cooped up and it's effecting a lot of people and they just want to get out for the day.
Again it is not acceptable and it's outside 2 km and they should not be travelling if it's not essential.
For example, we are stopping people at Youghal Bridge, coming across from Youghal, traveling to Dungarvan to go shopping. You can shop in
Youghal, there is plenty of shops there. We are also getting two three people in a car going shopping, one person should suffice."
