Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Calleary on bringing forward the issue of emergency workers, the fantastic work they do and their ability to do it in a safe environment. The Bill put forward is premature because work on two reports is currently ongoing. The Law Reform Commission's final report on mandatory sentencing is due to issue while, second, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, has established a working group to conduct a strategic review of penal policy, and we should await the outcome of that.

Emergency workers do fantastic work in Limerick city in my constituency. The objective of the Bill is to ensure that people such as gardaí, fire workers and nurses can go about their work without the worry of being assaulted. It is an issue we must take seriously and I believe the two bodies of work currently being carried out under the jurisdiction of the Minister for Justice and Equality will take that point on board.

I wish to make a general point about legislation. Since becoming a Member of the House I have seen a great deal of legislation being brought forward, but perhaps it is not always necessary to reinvent the wheel. There is a case for reviewing the existing legislation to see how it could be made to work more effectively. There are two legislative measures already in place which cover the problem of assaults on emergency workers, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and section 19 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, which specifically relates to emergency workers.

I am delighted to contribute to this debate but I believe the Bill is premature. Work is being carried out in this area by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, and the existing legislation is comprehensive in nature. What is clear from today's debate is that we must examine that existing legislation with a view to making it work more effectively, rather than introducing new legislation that might not cover the issue as comprehensively.

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