Stronger penalties in store for assaulting emergency workers

EMERGENCY workers have welcomed Government plans to strengthen penalties for people who assault or impede them in the course of their work.

A wide range of medical workers will be given the same protection as gardaí and prison officers under the proposals.

Amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill 2004 state that:

* Anyone found guilty of assaulting or threatening to assault people working in medical services could face up to five years in jail

* Anyone convicted of obstructing or willfully impeding medical staff could face up to six months in jail.

The provision defines people working in medical services as doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, ambulance personnel and other persons providing treatment and care at or in a hospital.

The provisions include people “acting under the direction of those persons”.

Fire Brigade staff are included in the amendments as “peace officers” along with gardaí, prison officers and members of the Defence Forces.

Liam Doran of the Irish Nurses’ Organisation said: “Making it a criminal offence to assault or threaten to assault or impede or obstruct people in hospital grounds is long overdue and we very much welcome the amendment and want it law as soon as possible.”

He said the INO had been calling for such a move for a long time.

A survey published last week by the trade union SIPTU found one-in-four healthcare staff had experienced some form of physical violence.

The union’s branch organiser for health service professionals, Ramon O’Reilly, said: “SIPTU welcomes the proposed amendment as it will now give the same protection to medical staff as gardaí enjoy.

“Assaults on medical staff have increased significantly and frontline staff such as nurses in A&E departments are a particular risk.”

Paul Bew of the SIPTU Dublin health services branch said A&E staff and ambulance crews could now “no longer be considered a soft target”.

“The level of assaults on medical personnel has increased recently, but this law will only serve as a deterrent when people are prosecuted.”

Justice Minister Michael McDowell first gave an indication that he favoured the proposals following a call from the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) for such a provision.

An AGSI spokesman said: “We welcome wholeheartedly any move to extend the protection to those who are providing the first line of emergency service, that includes the fire brigade personnel, doctors and nurses and of course the gardaí.”