Having house parties during a pandemic is not fair to your families and neighbours.
That's the message from Dublin Sinn Féin Councillor Daithí Doolan after a man was arrested in Drimnagh on Sunday night.
Gardaí responded to reports of a large gathering in the area.
The crowd were asked to disperse and gardaí say one man refused to comply with directions and became abusive.
He was arrested and has since been charged, he's due in court on January 15th.
Councillor Doolan is calling for people to stay home and stay safe.
He said: “Some people are behaving really well and responsibly, others are throwing caution to the wind. People may applaud frontline workers, the best thing people can do [for them] is don't have house parties, don't be inviting people around to your house.”
“I would also appeal to people, if there are parties in your neighbourhood, do not hesistate to ring gardaí,” he added. “They need to be informed of what's going on and to respond speedily, appropriately and responsibly to ensure these parties don't go ahead.”
Meanwhile, gardaí are preparing files for the Director of Public Prosecutions as part of investigations into alleged flouting of public health regulations at gatherings in Co Limerick.
The investigations relate to the breaching of regulations on mask wearing and social distancing in the town of Rathkeale, where gardaí said they encountered large gatherings over recent days.
It follows the sharing of videos of Christmas house parties on social media, which informed sources said took place in Rathkeale in recent days.
