Staff at Sligo University Hospital need to know they are supported if a patient becomes violent or aggressive.

That's according to Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler, who was speaking at the opening of the new Ballyshannon Community Hospital last Friday.

The Minister was reacting to reports of alleged assaults on hospital staff in Sligo recently.

Meanwhile the INMO has released new figures today which show that over 4,000 nurses were assaulted between January 2023 and February 2024.

Minister Butler says it a complex issue but that staff ultimately need to be reassured that help is at hand: