Mandatory sentences needed for people who attack gardaí, Simon Coveney says in wake of Wicklow unrest

Deputy Coveney condemned the violent scenes witnessed in Newtownmountkennedy on Thursday night where gardaí came under attack from protesters objecting to the proposed use of a local building as accommodation for international protection applicants.

Speaking in Galway, where Deputy Coveney attended Galway Courthouse with Maria Walsh MEP and Nina Carberry, Fine Gael’s European Election candidates for Midlands North-West as they returned their nomination papers, he said those who attack gardaí are “attacking the State”.

“They are attacking a key institution of the State, and we have to make sure as a government that we protect An Garda Síochána as best we can and give very clear signals that it is not acceptable to assault a guard.

“People of course have to be allowed to protest and have their say in a democracy but there is a line that we can’t accept being crossed when protests turn violent, which is what we saw last night.”

Asked specifically about Helen McEntee’s refusal to entertain a request by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors last month for mandatory sentencing on those who attacks frontline workers, Mr Coveney said: “My view on that is the government should have a look at that.

“I think we should send a very clear signal to somebody who is going to assault or attack anybody in uniform who works in an institution of the State. Be that the ambulance service, an Garda Síochána or the fire service.

“If you attack someone in uniform who is trying to protect society, then you are attacking the State. And in my view, we need to have very clear consequences for that. And I think we should be open to looking at mandatory sentencing.”

Deputy Coveney said he was honoured to support both Walsh and Carberry in the European Elections and described them as two

Maria Walsh MEP described her and Carberry as two “serious people” who want to deliver on the ground across the 15 counties in Midlands Northwest constituency.

“We are positive, we are progressive, and we are pro-European and sadly we are not seeing that in some of the people who are putting their names up (for election).

“It cannot be lost how important the EU is to us now, more than ever.

“It is incredibly crucial in the next five years.

“We have big items we will have to deliver on- our renewables, our green targets and defence and security.”

Simon Coveney said he is confident quality Fine Gael candidates like Walsh and Carberry “will do really well”.

“If you have a long list of people, many of which are standing because they are against something rather than for something, if you look at poll after poll of Irish people, they are amongst the most positive about the EU.

“You only have to look to our closest neighbour to see the tensions that are created by Eurosceptics.”

The Midlands North-West constituency currently has 26 candidates as former Green Party candidate Saoirse McHugh announced Friday that she will now run as an independent.

Each candidate will need in excess of 200,000 votes to be deemed elected.