Emergency Services should be Protected - Elliott
Fermanagh & South Tyrone Ulster Unionist Assembly Member, Tom Elliott MLA has called for greater protection for all emergency services in Northern Ireland following a number of incidents in Dungannon at Lisnahull Road on Wednesday 9 August 2006 and also in Londonderry at the weekend when fire crews were attacked.
Tom said: ” Official figures from Northern Ireland indicate that there were 1,500 attacks on fire and ambulance crews in the last three years and despite campaigns such incidents are common place throughout the Province. These services provide an essential services that save lives.
What we now need in Northern Ireland is similar legislation that was introduced in Scotland last year (Emergency Workers Scotland Act) which provides new penalties of 9 months in jail or fines of £5,000 for anyone assaulting, obstructing a person who is employed in fire service, ambulance workers, nurses and doctors. A clear message must be sent out to those who seek to abuse emergency services that this behaviour will no longer be tolerated.
Prior to the parliamentary recess Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Bill has received its third reading at Westminster and this bill is based on two straightforward principles, first, people who risk their lives to save others should not be obstructed and should be free to undertake their work without obstruction and attack by yobs and thugs.”
Tom concluded: “It is quite wrong and completely insupportable that our fire brigade crews, ambulance crews, doctors and nurses here in Northern Ireland do not enjoy the same level of protection afforded to emergency workers as other parts of the UK.”