Up to six prison officers were taken to hospital today after being attacked by an inmate, the Irish Prison Service has confirmed.
The incident happened shortly after 1pm when an inmate at Cork Prison was found to be on the landing outside his cell without permission.
A guard who approached the prisoner was attacked. A number of fellow officers came to his assistance and a fracas ensued.
The guards were brought to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for treatment, where a female officer was treated for a broken arm, a male officer received stitches to a head wound which also required a a brain scan. A third officer will require major dental treatment as a result of his injuries.
Eugene Dennehy, deputy general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association said he would be seeking an urgent meeting with the new minister for justice over the incident.
He said attacks on prison officers were becoming more vicious adding that Cork Prison has nearly twice its recommended number of inmates.
"In recent years the POA has urged greater recognition of the potential risk to prison officers and urge once again that prison officers have the necessary support to do their work effectively. Our warnings on this matter have largely been ignored.
"This is a very difficult day for our members in Cork and their families and we can assure them that we will do everything possible to highlight this issue and ensure it receives an appropriate response from local and national management, Mr Dennehy said.