Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2015
424. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality how she plans to address the increasing number of attacks on emergency service staff, including prison officers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23005/15]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the law already recognises the gravity of any attack on emergency service personnel and on prison officers, who are carrying out their duty, and that the penalties which are in place clearly underline the seriousness with which such attacks are viewed.
I would refer the Deputy in particular to the provisions of section 19 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) 1994 Act (as amended by section 185 Criminal Justice Act 2006) which deal with assaults of, or threats to, emergency workers in front line positions, and which provide penalties of a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or both. In addition, in the case of an assault causing serious harm, an offender can be prosecuted under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and could be subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
As the Deputy refers in particular to the position regarding assaults on prison officers I would draw his attention to a number of measures taken in recent years by the Irish Prison Service. These are primarily designed to ensure the safety of staff and prisoners by targeting the avenues by which contraband such as drugs, weapons and mobile phones are brought into our prisons. These measures, which are in addition to the introduction of enhanced CCTV coverage and ongoing training of Prison Officers in relation to Control and Restraint techniques, include the use of hand-held metal detectors, netting over prisons yards and security screening machines to detect and prevent weapons from entering the prison to further limit the scope of acts of violence.
Furthermore, the Irish Prison Service had established a Focus Group on Hospital Escorts and Procedures. In addition, a Control and Restraint Advisory Group has been convened and this Group has identified a number of proposals and recommendations regarding the safety requirements in the case of prisoner escorts. An implementation group has been established, chaired by the Governor of the Prison Service Escort Corp (PSEC), and I am advised that the implementation of these recommendations has commenced.
