The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has called for lengthy mandatory sentences for those convicted of organising or carrying out attacks on its members and their families.
Mr Eugene Dennehy, president of the association, claimed this morning assaults on prison officers had risen by over 50 per cent in the past four years.
He said there had been over 100 serious attacks on officers or their families during that time, in prisons throughout the State.
Mr Dennehy noted prison officers had been assaulted while out socialising in Dublin and that there had been three attacks on homes in Limerick in recent months. "These attacks on families are a matter of immense concern and they must be stopped," he told RTÉ Radio this morning.
Mr Dennehy denied claims that prison officers may have provoked a number of these attacks through their treatment of inmates.
The POA is due to hold its annual conference in Waterford later today.