"We're deeply indebted as a society to the work that our emergency services do on our behalf each day of the week." That's according to Monaghan Senator, Robbie Gallagher who praised new legislation which was announced yesterday by the Department of Justice.
The new legislation will see jail sentences for people who assault Garda and other emergency service staff increased to a maximum of 12 years.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Senator Gallagher said the purpose of the legislation is to ensure that measures are in place to protect nurses, Gardaí, firefighters and ambulance personal. These are workers who according to Senator Gallagher "put their lives at risk in doing their work every day."
He continued; "Our job as legislators is to set out what we feel should be the minimum and maximum sentences for offences while at all times allowing the court the flexibility to adjudicate and deliver whatever sentence it sees fit, based on the evidence presented to it, that is only right.
"The law of the land needs to speak very clearly on this issue to anyone who strays over that line without good reason, if there ever is a good reason, and they should expect the full wrath of the law to come down upon them."
