The Garda Representative Association's calling for clarity on the powers of arrest during the current pandemic.
It says members are concerned after recent incidents where colleagues have been coughed and spat at by people claiming to have Covid-19.
GRA president Jim Mulligan says having access to personal protective equipment, such as masks and spit hoods, would help.
But he says specific measures to deal with these people are needed.
"There is an offence under section 19 of the Public Order Act which deals with assaults of police officers.
"We would like to see a clear direction that be invoked on each occasion that this happen.
"It's an extreme situation, I think the whole country would agree, and to have somebody spitting in your face in particular we've had a few incidents in recent days, it's just unacceptable."
