Revenue staff had cars driven at them at speed

Incidents involving Revenue workers last year included vandalism, near-collisions, veiled threats and workplace accidents across multiple locations

Revenue staff have had vehicles driven at them at high speed, sinister messages left on social media, and one officer who had their car vandalised at their home address. Picture: Laura Hutton/RollingNews.ie

Revenue staff had vehicles driven at them at high speed, sinister messages left on social media, and one officer who had their car vandalised at their home address.

The threats were among more than 100 accidents and incidents logged by the Revenue Commissioners last year involving their employees.

At Dublin Port last September, a driver drove at speed towards a customs officer in what was described as a “near miss”. That same month in Dundalk, another vehicle tore off from a checkpoint in another case of dangerous driving.

In March of 2024, one Revenue officer had their car vandalised at their home in an incident believed linked to their work.

Another case of intimidation was reported in April last year when an official found a Facebook post saying ‘Happy Birthday’ in what was thought to be a veiled threat.

There were other anti-social behaviour incidents with a security guard harassed by a member of the public and a “confrontation” at Dublin Port between Revenue officers and passengers linked to possession of cannabis.

Other incidents reported by Revenue were a dog detector van that was broken into and a “dog van [that] hit a skip”. 

Several dozen accidents were logged by Revenue including an acid spill in Cork, an officer who fell from a ladder, and another employee who was hit by a gate.

A Revenue spokeswoman said they were committed to ensuring the safety, health, and welfare of all its employees and the people they came into contact with.

She said: “Our safety management system incorporates the identification of hazards, an assessment of the associated risks, mitigation measures for eliminating or reducing the risks, as well as a method to monitor and review procedures.

“Revenue strives to ensure the provision and maintenance of a safe and healthy working environment in all of its workplaces.”