Those who assault gardaí and emergency workers could soon face a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison. The new proposals - being brought to Government by Justice Minster Simon Harris - will also apply to those who ram emergency vehicles.
It follows a spate of assaults on gardaí in recent months - most recently in Ballyfermot in Dublin last week. President of the Garda Representative Association, Brendan O'Connor, is also calling for a special taskforce to deal with issues within the force when it meets the minister later today.
"Health and safety, and working conditions are now quite complex so different departments need an input. The Tainiste made reference to a taskforce in light of the recent attacks and we want to explore that.
"We want to get a taskforce up and running with a seat at the table for ourselves," he added.
