Gardaí Were Paid Absolute Millions In Compensation For On Duty Injuries Last Year

The payments under the Garda Compensation Acts also compensate the dependents of members who have died from injuries maliciously inflicted on them, according to The Journal.

Figures showed that between 2007 and 2016 a total of €72.4 million was paid out to 1,623 individuals under the scheme.

A total of €1.2 million was paid out concerning ‘miscarriages of justice’ cases as well as an additional €295,000 in legal costs associated with a miscarriage of justice case, according to different figures provided by Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan in response to Fianna Fáil Finance spokesman, Michael McGrath.

The figures revealed that €179,277 was paid out in 2017 in a miscarriage of justice case and this followed €515,000 paid under the same heading in 2016.

Spokesperson for the Garda Representative Association (GRA), John O’Keeffe said that bites, grazes and bruising are among the most common injuries sustained by gardaí, followed by sprains, strains, closed fractures and open wounds.

He said: “Of even greater concern to the GRA is that these figures are vastly underreported and so misleading.”

“There is simply no comparable occupation where employees are likely to suffer such a debilitating range of injuries and subsequent illnesses while carrying out their normal operational duties.”

O’ Keeffe added: “The solutions are many and varied but briefly, frontline members firstly need an occupational health scheme.”

“Secondly, they require ‘body cams’ or worn body videos which are a vital tool in ensuring that assaults against are properly recorded.”

“Thirdly, each Garda needs to be armed with a non-lethal weapon – namely a Taser.”

He added: “Fourthly, gardaí need updated protection vests. The current ones are over a decade old, ill-fitting, and provide little or no resistance to sustained ballistic attack.”

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