Thugs who assault cops, firefighters and nurses should be locked up, a TD said yesterday.
Neale Richmond is to call on the Dail to agree on mandatory jail terms after a shocking rise in attacks on emergency services personnel.
The Fine Gael representative for Dublin Rathdown said: “Over the past few years there has been a worrying increase in assaults on frontline workers across Ireland.
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“Gardai have seen a 34% rise in assaults causing injury from 2015-2020, with 608 taking place in the first nine months of 2021 alone.
“Healthcare staff are facing similar threats, with 4,636 assaults on doctors and nurses taking place in 2020, of which a staggering 97% were inflicted on nurses.
“These workers put themselves at risk on a daily basis to protect us, they do not deserve to receive harassment in return.
“To prevent a further rise in these cases, action must be taken and an example must be made of those who commit these crimes.
"This is why I will introduce a Private Members Motion to Dail Eireann calling on a mandatory minimum sentence for those convicted of assault against a frontline worker of six months for a lesser, or summary offence, and two years for an indictment, or more serious offence.”
Ray Wims, a frontline garda based in Sligo and also a Garda Representative Association delegate, has been attacked on the job previously.
He told how one of his colleagues was assaulted on St Patrick’s Day and suffered serious injuries.
Mr Wims, who is backing Richmond’s motion, said: “I enjoy being a frontline officer and enjoy not being armed. But there has to be a deterrent to stop these attacks on frontline officers to allow us the comfort of patrolling the community unarmed.”
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