It’s a high price to pay for a get-together.

An Garda Síochána has revealed that more than 2,300 fines have been issued to people caught organising or attending house parties during Level 5 restrictions.

To date, Gardaí have issued approximately 15,358 Covid-19 fines across the range of all Covid-19 breaches:

• 466 €500 fines for organising a house party
• 1,842 €150 fines for attending a house party
• 11,072 €100 fines for non-essential travel
• 636 €500 fines for non-essential journeys to airports/ports
• 269 fines of €80 each for not wearing a face covering
• 262 fines of €100 for non-essential travel by persons not ordinarily resident in the State

“An Garda Síochána continues to find groups gathering (house parties, social gatherings, outdoor drinking, exercise etc.) in breach of regulations.” said a Garda spokesperson.

“These are not just breaches of regulations, but are a risk to the individuals involved, their families and loved ones, and continue to put everybody’s health and the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic at risk. Recent surveys have shown that the majority of people believe that they are doing the right thing, but the reality is that the level of casual contacts remains high.”

Gardaí will be continuing nationwide checkpoints this weekend, with high visibility patrols at public amenities, parks and beauty spots across the country.