Over 150 incidents against staff at Kerry General Hospital in Tralee, including assaults and verbal abuse, were reported last year.
Most of the incidents on nursing and security staff at the hospital were by people under the influence of alcohol, or other substances, and occurred late at night, it has emerged. A security officer now works in the A&E department 24 hours a day.
Two people have been before the court in Tralee arising from such incidents and two more cases are pending, according to the hospital's head of security, Matt O'Donoghue.
Between last September and February of this year, there had been 150 reports of incidents, half of which were in the A&E department and half in wards, according to the occupational health department of the hospital
A total of 61 violent incidents against staff, including actual assaults, threats of assaults, and verbal abuse, were reported over the period.