THE GARDA REPRESENTATIVE Association (GRA) has said attacks on gardaí have become “all too common”, after an incident in Dublin yesterday saw one garda hospitalised.

The garda approached a man in his 30s who had been riding an electric bike on a green and footpaths in the Blakestown area of Blanchardstown at around 9pm.

The garda had been on “proactive patrol” to disrupt the sale of drugs, a spokesperson said. 

The man on the bike had his face covered.

“When a garda member who was on foot approached the motorcyclist as he was travelling at speed along the footpath he drove off and in the course of doing so struck the garda,” the spokesperson said.

The garda and the man on the bike were both taken to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown to be treated for non life-threatening injuries sustained during the incident.

The man has since been arrested and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Dublin.

Mark Ferris, a member of the GRA’s executive committee, commended the “courage and professionalism” of gardaí who dealt with the incident.

“Attacks on members of An Garda Síochána who are proactively keeping communities safe are entirely unacceptable and, regrettably, are becoming far too common,” he said.

“For those of us working in the area, this incident is another stark reminder of the risks our members face daily, particularly when engaging in any form of incident‑related driving.”

Ferris called for a clear policy on this issue, as well as “comprehensive, formal pursuit training”, as gardaí are aware of potential for criminal prosecution or disciplinary action “if something goes wrong”.