A psychiatrist was in a critical condition in hospital last night and a colleague was also being treated after they were stabbed a number of times at a psychiatric day hospital in Limerick.
A man who was released from prison last year after serving a lengthy sentence for manslaughter was being questioned by gardaí about the attack last night.
Psychiatrist Anamath Pullela was in a critical condition following the violent assault, which took place at St Anne's Psychiatric Day Hospital in Limerick city at 3pm yesterday.
Kathleen Burns, a clinical psychologist, also suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack, but her injuries are not life threatening.
Both victims were stabbed a number of times.
A 31-year-old man was arrested at the scene and the knife believed to have been the weapon used in the attack was recovered.
During the man's trial for manslaughter it emerged that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He had stabbed his victim to death just days after he was released from a psychiatric care unit.
Dr Pullela, who suffered serious injuries in yesterday's attack, was taken to Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick last night, where his condition was described as "critical but stable". He was later transferred to Cork University Hospital. He is a native of Pakistan.
Clinical psychologist Kathleen Burns was also taken to Mid Western Regional hospital, where her injuries were described as serious but not life threatening.
St Anne's Psychiatric Day hospital offers a variety of services, including addiction counselling, cogitative therapy, psychotherapy and out-patient detox programmes.
Staff members at the facility, which caters for a population of over 40,000 people living in the eastern and southern areas of Limerick city, were said to be in deep shock yesterday.
In a statement issued last night, a spokesman for the HSE said that counselling and other appropriate supports had been put in place for staff working at the day hospital.
Supt Frank O'Brien, who is leading the Garda investigation, confirmed last night that the HSE was co-operating fully with inquiries.
Supt O'Brien described the incident as particularly alarming given that it occurred as two professionals were carrying out a valuable service to the community.
"Obviously any incident in which people suffer serious injuries is alarming, but it is terrible to think that in the context of their work these people found themselves subject to a very serious assault in which they suffered serious injuries," he said.