Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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842. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are data available on the number of prosecutions taken for assault of front-line health workers since the enactment of section 185 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. [54291/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Director of Public Prosecutions is the agency responsible for the prosecution of crime in Ireland. As Minister for Justice, I have no role in such matters.

As the Deputy will also be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána.  As Minister for Justice, I also have no role in such matters.

However, to be of assistance, I requested related information from the Garda authorities who inform me that since the enactment of Section 185 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, there have been 29 unique charges recorded on the PULSE system whereby the person was charged with the offence of 'assault, threaten, impede, wilfully obstruct or resist a frontline health worker'.

These numbers are accurate up to 27 October 2022. Due to the low number of charges it is not possible to provide a year on year breakdown.