Simon Harris proposes 12-year jail sentences for assaults on gardaí and paramedics

Interim Minister for Justice Simon Harris plans to bring forward proposals to amend laws to increase sentences for assaults causing harm to members of An Garda Siochana and other emergency service workers.

He said he will introduce a maximum sentence of 12 years for such assaults against on duty gardai and emergency service workers, such as hospital staff, prison officers, fire brigade personnel, ambulance workers or members of the Defence Forces.

The new laws will also apply to people who ram emergency vehicles and garda cars.

"I want to change the law to ensure that we, the people's representatives, send a very clear message that attacks on members of An Garda Síochána will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly by a law that provides for longer sentences," Mr Harris said.

Meanwhile, a new law is going through the Oireachtas to raise the maximum sentence of assault causing harm to a member of the general population from five years to ten years.

It comes after a spate of attacks on members of An Garda Siochana over the past few months, with the most recent incident injuring an on-duty garda in Ballyfermot, Dublin last week.

Minister Harris is due to discuss the issue with the Garda Representative Association (GRA) later today.

GRA President Brendan O’Connor told Newstalk he will also use the meeting to call for a special task force to deal with violence against gardaí.

“Health and safety and working conditions are quite complex so the different departments need and input,” he said.

“The now-Tánaiste made a reference to a task force in light of the recent attacks so we want to explore that and get a task force up and running with a seat at the table for ourselves.”