The Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan is hopeful regulations giving effect to emergency powers for the Gardaí will be finalised this week.

Legislation to allow the force to have new powers throughout the COVID-19 crisis have been signed into law, but they are not yet able to enforce them.

Officers are currently policing the streets without resorting to forcing people to go home, but they can advise.

Mr Flanagan says drafting together the regulations has been 'complex' because of their nature.

At the moment, the public is not compelled to go home if they are asked to.

However Mr Flanagan does not think the force will need to enact these powers too often.

And he says he does not see any situation where these powers will remain in place once the coronavirus pandemic has passed.

"These are complex regulations - these are regulations that are obviously interfering with rights that have long since been enjoyed.

"They're not put together likely.

"My department here in Justice has been working closely with the Department of Health in ensuring the completion of the regulations - which I would expect to take place over the coming days".

"The key point here is that the Gardaí will continue to approach these policing issues from a public health perspective, this is on the advice of the public health officials.

"I don't anticipate that there will be a widespread need to enforce these new regulations - but it's important, therefore, that they're in place nevertheless."

"It was made quite clear by the Taoiseach and Government that these are emergency measures for emergency times.

"And of course as time endures into the summer and beyond, I don't see any basis upon which these regulations will be further needed".