Fianna Fáil’s Spokesperson on Dublin Senator Darragh O’Brien said the violent attack on a member of the gardaí in Balbriggan at the weekend further highlights the need for a crackdown on assaults against frontline emergency workers.
A garda was seriously injured after he was rammed by a stolen car that he was pursuing. Two other members of the force also suffered more minor injuries during the incident in a quiet north Dublin suburb on Sunday.
North Dublin Senator Darragh O’Brien has described it as a particularly violent attack that highlights the increasing dangers facing gardaí on the beat.
“These brazen criminals clearly placed no value whatsoever on the lives of the gardaí involved in this incident. They had no fear of the repercussions of attacking an on-duty member of the force,” said Senator O’Brien.
“It is simply unacceptable that there is still no specific protection in law for those public servants who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe and respond to emergencies. Unfortunately attacks against gardaí, ambulance workers, firemen and nurses are becoming all too common and criminals are becoming more and more shameless.
“The bottom line is that our current laws are not enough to protect gardaí and other emergency workers from the increasing number of assaults. We need minimum mandatory minimum jail sentences for anyone convicted of assaulting or threatening the life of our frontline emergency workers. Since the Government voted down Fianna Fáil proposals for a minimum 5 year jail term for such assaults, hundreds of emergency workers have been attacked on the job.
“The violent attack in Balbriggan at the weekend further illustrates the fact that our gardaí and frontline emergency workers need special protection in law. I am calling on the Government to look again at these proposals.”