Ms Anne Marie McMahon:

As I have said already, there are a number of locations where we have responded, where we are aware that protests took place but I do not have the specific numbers to share with the committee today.

If this Bill is enacted, it will be the law of the land. As the police service for the State, it is our job then to deal with the legislation in a fair and proportionate way. That is what we will do, as we did during the Covid regulations. Reference has been made to the complex situation in that regard in terms of the competing rights. Our approach to that was a very humane and practical one using the four Es and working our way through the various steps. It is absolutely our intention to follow a similar type of approach in this regard. We can move through the four Es pretty quickly, but it is important that everybody knows where they stand in the context of either being facilitated through the safe zone or if there are breaches of that, those who are breaching it equally know that is the case and we will follow through in line with the legislation.