asked the Minister for Justice whether, in view of the increasing number of attacks on elderly people, many of which result in serious mental and physical injury when inflicted on people living alone, he will give consideration to amending the Offences Against the Person Act to provide for mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of such offences.
Written Answers. - Attacks on Elderly People.
319.
The position is that, generally, mandatory minimum penalties are not prescribed. I have no reason to think that there would be any advantage to be gained in providing mandatory minimum penalties in relation to the offences to which the question refers.