Bullets in the post to a tax inspector, a librarian threatened with a hacksaw blade and a fire-fighter hospitalised after being hit by a brick were among the experiences recounted by IMPACT members in a debate on the need for greater protection and compensation for public servants at work.
"In a society which has an increasing number of alienated members, any public-sector employee can be identified as the symbol of authority and become a victim of hostility directed at society," Ms Mary Farrell, secretary of the Association of Inspectors of Taxes, told the conference yesterday. She was moving a motion that called for the extension of the Garda compensation scheme to other public servants.
When the Garda scheme was set up 50 years ago, legislators thought that other public servants were unlikely to face the same risks, she said. However, the intervening years had seen the emergence of a more complex society "containing social layers undreamt of in the 1940s".
"Recent years have seen the development of organised crime in this country, and in more recent years it has included the move of those engaged in organised criminal activity into legitimate trades, including property development and agriculture."
Non-compliance with revenue law or EU requirements were a regular feature of such commercial activity. Those trying to enforce the law, such as tax inspectors, agricultural officers, housing inspectors, forensic scientists and solicitors faced risks "formerly experienced only by the Garda".
Among incidents mentioned were threatening messages left on answering machines, a parcel containing live ammunition sent to a tax inspector's home, a video-tape detailing a tax inspector's movements, overt surveillance of a tax inspector on duty and at home, physical assaults on agricultural officers and a murder attempt on a forensic scientist.
IMPACT members working in highly emotive situations, such as providing care or working with alcoholics, drug addicts and young offenders, had suffered assaults and serious injuries, Ms Farrell said. The range of compensation schemes ranged from quite good to almost non-existent.
There was a need for a compensation scheme that was fair and reasonable. "Those of us who take on the role of the public service contribute a great deal to society," she said. "In return, if we are injured or incapacitated as a result of our work, it is reasonable to ask the society which we serve to ensure that our dependants do not also become victims."