Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the Bill and compliment Senator Gallagher, who has done so much work on this. It is sad that we have to pass this Bill. On a weekly basis, members of our emergency services are being targeted in their roles. Nurses have been to the fore when it comes to assaults on medical staff, accounting for almost 70% of total assaults on hospital staff over the past ten years. These are all HSE figures. In An Garda Síochána, there have been 1,267 assaults on members since 2012. In 2016, this figure was 259, an increase of almost 50% over four years. It is frightening that more than 5,500 gardaí have been injured in the line of duty since 2005.

The Bill introduces measures that will provide safety to members in the front-line emergency services. They include mandatory prison sentences and extending the two-year sentence to seven at the decision of the court. There is widespread agreement on how difficult the job is on the front line. The Bill should be supported to ensure we provide a safe working environment for our gardaí, nurses, paramedics, fire-fighters and other front-line emergency services. It is a crucial Bill and I am delighted to second it.