Longford Leader columnist: Attack on gardaí should serve as a wake up call

‘Gardaí attacked in Co Mayo’. This is an awful headline to see in any Irish newspaper.

This should not be allowed happen. Under any circumstances.

No matter what people think about the Gardaí, and the way the force has been contaminated by the deliberate and considered culture we are now subjected to, few would literally attack our Gardaí.

The attack in Mayo, which was long and sustained, should be a real wake up call.

Yet, nobody says anything.

Most physical crimes against Gardaí aren't even reported. What's wrong with our political system that those who wear the suit of responsibility for our laws, are so very, very slow to utter a single meaningful word about wrongdoing.

I'd take a different approach.

For any crime against a member of Gardaí, the perpetrator should be jailed immediately if he or she is Irish. Foreigners should be deported, immediately.

No enquiries, no softening of our approach.

The penalty should be enshrined in the constitution.

Donald Trump is correct when he says that anyone who commits a criminal act, of any kind, should be deported immediately.

Well, we can't deport our own.

Now let's straight away say that most foreigners who work in this country are law abiding decent people and have been a massive boost to employment, particularly during the Celtic Tiger years when Irish people wouldn't condescend to working in many of the jobs available. Ditto, Irish people, same outlook, largely same reason for working.

However, many on both sides - Irish and foreigners - are responsible for the crimes carried out today.

What do these people have to do...?Maybe leave a garda, or a member of the public totally incapacitated. It's happened already, in fact.

Will we then see a rush to do something, when it's too late?

Maybe when a garda has been killed?