Member Of Garda Falls Victim To Eye Gouging In Dublin

Members of An Garda Síochána are urging the powers-that-be for better protection for front line officers, following an incident where a Garda had his eye gouged during a domestic call-out in Dublin.

According to Dublin Live, two Gardaí called to the scene of a dispute in a home in Ballymun, at around 6.30am last Sunday. While there, the male Garda was attacked.

Garda Representative Association President Ciaran O’Neill said of the incident: 

“He was attacked for a good five minutes. He was bitten, his eye was gouged, he was punched and spat at but he remained on duty, so that’s a statistic that won’t be recorded.''

“They’re only recorded when a member goes off sick for more than three days. There was no investigation into the assault because he didn’t go off work. It was seen as an occupational hazard. This is what this conference is about - better safety for our members.''

“We know it’s a dangerous job but what we’re looking for is protection from the State. When gardai say goodbye to their families and leave for work nobody is sure what lies ahead.''

“No one should expect to be assaulted at work, no risk assessment is possible without data. The organisation continues to fail to accurately record the number of assaults on gardai or to properly prosecute the attackers.''

“Members are routinely expected to expect attacks as part of the job and this is not acceptable. As an employer, the State has a duty of care to every employee.''

Reports are showing that a total of 631 Gardaí were injured on the job back in 2015. And since 2006, there have been five on-duty fatalities.

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