Coronavirus: No PSNI clarity on whether it is checking shoppers crossing from Cavan to Fermanagh

A News Letter reader recently expressed concern about the high volume of shoppers coming from Co Cavan into Enniskillen supermarkets.

The nearest border crossing from the NI town is some 11 miles away.

Ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, the Garda and PSNI launched a joint crackdown on cross-border ‘holiday’ travel, with reports of many checkpoints on both sides of the Donegal border.

However, sources say that while there is a high volume of southern shoppers coming into Enniskillen daily, there has been no Garda or PSNI controls whatsoever along the 40-mile Cavan border, a claim the Garda last night rejected.

Fermanagh UUP MLA Rosemary Barton asked the PSNI to confirm it will be controlling travel into NI as well as that going to Donegal.

“Given the PSNI and Garda had a significant May Bank Holiday weekend operation to stop travel from Northern Ireland into the Republic, I want reassurance that there will be reciprocal measures for those travelling from the Irish Republic into Northern Ireland,” she said.

“Given the serious nature of this pandemic and the high levels of positive cases in border counties of the Irish Republic, it is important that travel management is in place from those counties into Northern Ireland.”

In response, the PSNI supplied a press release but did not offer any direct clarification on the apparent disparity.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said people are permitted to leave home to buy food but not to visit second homes, camp sites or caravan parks. He said the PSNI had worked closely with the Garda on this over the bank holiday weekend.

“We will continue to conduct patrols and vehicle checkpoints and you will continue to see police patrols and checkpoints across Northern Ireland for example at beauty spots, on roads going to key resorts and in border areas ... if you don’t have a reasonable explanation for your travel, we will turn you back,” he said.

TUV leader Jim Allister said: “The Republic of Ireland has shown little in terms of duty of care to, or interest in, its neighbour in terms of permitting unfettered travel to shop in NI.

“This is particularly relevant given the excessive rates of infection in counties Cavan and Monaghan, with unfettered access to Enniskillen and other NI towns.”

A Garda spokesman responded that it has “no comment on the alleged ‘high level of positive cases’ in the Cavan area”. He added: “There is no disparity on how the entirety of the border is policed across the Garda North-western region. An Garda Síochána implemented a high level of checkpoint activity and patrols across Cavan over the recent weekend.”

All Garda border checkpoints monitor traffic travelling in both directions and the necessity of an individual’s journey, he added.

“It should be noted that along the Cavan/Fermanagh border are a number of essential industries and healthcare providers which result in a significant level of daily traffic for essential workers,” he added.

There were concerns that southern shoppers in Enniskillen had been breaking the Republic’s 2km travel limit. However, Garda said this only applied to travelling for exercise.

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