Over 150 gardai assaulted while on duty so far this year – figures

Over 150 gardai have been assaulted while on duty so far this year, according to figures from the Department of Justice.

A total of 3,440 gardai have been assaulted while on duty in almost 12 years.

There have been a higher than average number of reported assaults since 2022 compared with previous years.

There were 299 assaults on gardai while on duty in 2014; 301 in 2015; 282 in 2016; 264 in 2017; 224 in 2018 and 266 in 2019.

In 2020 there were 223 on-duty garda assaults, in 2021 there were 266, in 2022 there were 316, in 2023 there were 470, and in 2024 there were 373.

There were 156 assaults of on-duty gardai reported as of July 23 this year.

“We are all immensely grateful to all our gardai for their outstanding dedication and commitment to serving the public and for the important role that they play in our society,” the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said in response to a parliamentary question from Aontu leader Peadar Toibin.

“For the most part, the relationship between gardai and the public they serve is one built on very significant trust.

“We only have to look to the fact that An Garda Siochana is a largely unarmed, and yet hugely effective, community policing service.”

The figures come after a probationary garda was injured in a knife attack while on patrol on Dublin’s Capel Street, and another garda was punched in the face.

A man has appeared in court charged with the assault of the probationary garda.

“The recent unprovoked attack on a garda in Dublin has been rightly condemned by all. It was a truly shocking incident in our capital city,” Aontu Senator Sarah O’Reilly said.

She said there was “no doubt our streets are becoming unsafe”.

“When the Dail resumes my party will be reintroducing our bill which seeks a mandatory minimum sentence for anyone who assaults a garda or frontline emergency worker.

“I’m hopeful that other parties will support our legislation in both the Dail and the Seanad.

“These attacks on gardai are not helping morale or recruitment to the force, the Government needs to support our legislation for harsher sentencing.”

Anyone convicted for assaulting a garda, a prison officer, a firefighter, an ambulance paramedic, or a soldier can face a maximum prison sentence of 7 to 12 years.