Thousands of gardaí are manning hundreds of checkpoints all over the country this morning as part of Operation Fanacht set up to police Level 3 coronavirus restrictions.
Checkpoints have been set up in regionally and on all the main arterial routes around Dublin to encourage people to remain in their own counties and to only undertake essential journeys.
Around 7,000 people leave Portlaoise every day for Dublin, another 2,500 depart from Gorey. Those on educational and essential journeys are entitled to travel but with traffic levels having risen last week to 80% of the pre-Covid levels, Operation Fanacht is now under way to reduce the numbers on the roads.