Gardaí today backed demands for a new mandatory 12-year sentence for assaulting an officer.
Damien McCarthy, incoming president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), said stiffer penalties were needed in modern Ireland.
At the GRA annual conference, Mr McCarthy said recent statistics suggested two gardaí are assaulted on a daily basis.
"It's a worrying trend," he said. "Certain elements of society will do anything to inflict maximum harm on members of the Garda. That trend doesn't appear to be subsiding."
At present, there is a specific offence under section 19 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act for assaulting a police officer. The offence carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
But Mr McCarthy said a tougher penalty was needed to send out a clear message to the public, as policing became more difficult and dangerous. "That simply isn't sufficient anymore for modern policing, for modern Ireland where we have thuggery and violence," he said.
Stephen Quinn, based at the Garda command and control centre in Dublin's Harcourt Square, said offenders regularly showed a lack of respect for gardaí and a disregard for the law generally. Where offenders do appear in court to answer charges for assaults on officers, the sentences frequently did not match expectations, he told delegates.
Gda Quinn said studies suggest a garda was three times more likely to suffer violent victimisation than other members of society. "The court system must deal severely with offenders who assault officers and send out a strong message that attacking police will not be tolerated in society," he said.
There was also a need for refresher courses and the right equipment for those at risk of attack, he said.
"We do face comparatively higher occupational risk than other occupations but sadly this is not reflected in the law of the land," he added.
Michael Corcoran, from Anglesea station in Cork city, said there is no deterrent at all for people who assault members of the force. "This type of legislation might just stop people and make them think about assaulting guards," he said.
Delegates passed a motion demanding a mandatory 12-year sentence for the specific offence of a gratuitous assault on a garda.
PA