158 assaults on gardaí in Mayo / Roscommon / Longford Division in past decade

NEW figures released to Aontú TD for Mayo, Paul Lawless, show that 158 gardaí were assaulted while on active duty across the Mayo / Roscommon / Longford Garda Division in the past 10 years.

The figures show that attacks on gardaí are not confined to urban areas and that across rural counties like Mayo, a high number of gardaí have reported being assaulted.

“We need a serious clampdown on anyone who assaults a garda,” said Deputy Lawless. “Assaulting or laying a finger on a member of An Garda Síochána should be an unthinkable act, which should carry a very serious sentence.

“For this reason, we in Aontú have introduced a bill in the Dáil which seeks a mandatory minimum prison sentence for anyone who assaults a garda on active duty. We want to see people convicted of assaulting gardaí sent to prison for a minimum of six months or a minimum of two years depending on the severity of the assault.”

Deputy Lawless continued: “For many decades the gardaí have been hugely respected by the public, but this data shows that there is a trend in the opposite direction.

“In recent years we have had a huge problem with recruitment and retention within the Gardaí. Garda morale is at the floor. The main reasons people are leaving the force or not joining in the same numbers is because of pay and conditions.

“Many gardaí have reported that the job is incredibly stressful, and some have faced serious abuse and assault while on the line of duty. In cases like the Dublin riots we saw pure chaos and carnage and not enough manpower. Indeed, I've been informed that the system for responding to outbreaks of violence like that involved management sending WhatsApp messages to frontline gardaí, rather than a professional co-ordinated response strategy.”

He continued: "The issue of assaults on gardaí is a particularly sensitive issue in Mayo and Roscommon given that one of the most recent cases of a garda being murdered while on duty was that of Colm Horkan from Charlestown. Of course, 40 years previously the murders of Henry Byrne and John Morley in Ballaghaderreen sent shock waves through the community. Both of these brave men came from my hometown of Knock.

“Gardaí face unimaginable challenges and risks in their line of work, and it is important that we have severe punishments for anyone who attacks or assaults a garda.”