Gardaí say they can only investigate reports of anti-mask protesters on public transport if they receive a complaint from an on-duty staff member.
It comes after video footage of anti-lockdown protesters intimidating passengers on a Luas tram in Dublin was widely shared online.
Luas operator Transdev said it had captured high quality CCTV footage of the incident and had passed it on to Gardaí to assist them with their investigation.
The transport company noted that barring “limited exceptions” anyone travelling on the Luas without a face covering is breaking the law.
An incident occurred this evening involving a group of people not wearing face coverings on board a Red Line tram. The Luas CCTV footage captured is high quality and is being passed to the Gardaí to assist them with their investigation into the incident. 1/2
— Luas (@Luas) November 2, 2020
In a statement this afternoon, Gardaí said they were aware of “videos circulating on social media showing a number of individuals on public transport not complying with public health regulations.”
They said they were liaising closely with Luas security on the matter.
Relevant person
They warned however, that they can’t take any action unless they receive a report or a complaint from a ‘relevant person.’
Under the emergency coronavirus legislation, a ‘relevant person’ is defined as an on-duty public transport worker or an on-duty National Transport Authority worker.
When travelling on #Luas please respect Luas staff and fellow passengers. Play your part by wearing a face covering while travelling on Luas, which is required by law. Help reduce the spread of COVID-19. #InThisTogether See https://t.co/BuHHNxpUnQ for more. pic.twitter.com/HXnb6zE9rN
— Luas (@Luas) November 3, 2020
Meanwhile, the Luas operator said it had provided Gardaí with “excellent” footage of the incident.
“Luas is working with the Gardaí in relation to this matter,” said a Transdev spokeswoman.
“We have provided excellent CCTV footage from the platform and the tram to them.
“Luas has over 96% compliance when it comes to passengers wearing face coverings and yesterday’s incident, whilst a one-off, was very disappointing.”
Four Es
Gardaí said they are continuing to adopt the ‘Four Es’ approach to policing coronavirus restrictions – Engage, Educate, Encourage, and as a last resort, Enforce.
Where Gardaí find potential breaches of the public health regulations, a file is prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Reporting from Laura Donnelly
