Justice Minister Simon Harris will bring a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday to increase the maximum sentence for assaulting a Garda from seven years to 12.
Speaking at the new Regional Office in the Dublin Metropolitan Region at Dublin Castle, Mr Harris also committed to introducing body cams so that Gardaí are “not the only people at protests without cameras”.
“We have your back when it comes to making sure you’re safe as you go about your duties,” he said.
Minister Harris said that the new proposal to increase the maximum sentence for assaulting a Garda will also include the ramming of vehicles.
He said: “At the moment, we already live in a country where there is robust legislation if you assault any member of emergency services – obviously, gardaí but also our nurses or paramedics, fire service and lots of people working on the frontline.
“What I'm seeking to do though is increase the maximum sentence. At the moment that is seven years. I'm seeking Government agreement to increase it to 12 years.
“What this is doing is, firstly I hope, showing solidarity with the Gardaí. We have seen an uptick in relation to attacks on members of the Gardaí.
“But it's also giving our courts the power and, indeed I suppose, sending a message from the Oireachtas in terms of how seriously the people of Ireland take any attack on any member of An Garda Siochána
“We should remember we still live in a country where there's huge support for the Gardaí. We live in a country where confidence levels in our police force are above that of most other European countries.
“But we also need to live in a country where we don't as politicians just wring our hands and condemn, though condemning is important.
“We actually need to update the laws to support the Gardaí.
“That's what I’ll endeavour to do.”
Minister Harris also condemned videos of Gardaí being “provoked, disrespected” and verbally assaulted while policing protests and other events.
The Justice Minister said that “trusts” the Gardaí’s “operational judgement” and that it is “easy for people to sit behind desks or people like me to go in front of microphones and second guess the Gardaí”.
He added: “I will never do that. I trust you know what you’re at.”
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