Hundreds of student Gardai who may sustain personal injuries maliciously inflicted upon them in the performance of their duties are being excluded from the provisions of the Garda Siochana Compensation Act.
The compensation scheme which is administered by the Department of Justice allows Gardai maliciously injured on duty to claim compensation from the High Court.
The State has paid out more than €30,000,000 in the last 2 years in compensation and legal fees for injuries sustained by Gardai.
The exclusion from the scheme of student Gardai may be discriminatory and may lead to legal challenge according to a personal injuries Solicitor.
Liam Moloney, Solicitor of Naas, Co. Kildare said today,”It is completely unacceptable that student Gardai do not have the protection that if they are injured while on duty, that they would be treated in the same manner as full members of An Garda Sichana. There is absolutely no justification for not allowing student Gardai to be covered by this scheme. It will inevitably lead to more litigation by injured student Gardai against property owners and other potential Defendants. The Department of Justice should immediately amend the provisions of the Garda Compensation Act to bring to an end this blatant discrimination.”
For further information contact:
Liam Moloney Solicitor
liammoloney@moloneysolicitors.ie
Tel: 1800 200249
