THE Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, was jostled and struck by a prisoner during a visit to Limerick Prison.
Mr Noonan had been attending a ceremony to mark the building of an extension, hosted by his colleague, Mrs Owen, the Minister for Justice, on Friday.
He had left the official ceremony to make a telephone call to his Department when the incident happened
In a statement yesterday, he said: "After leaving that office, while I was crossing a portion of the prison yard to rejoin the other a guests at the function, a man whom I don't know and who was accompanied by two prison officers, rushed at me and I received a glancing blow from him.
"The prison officers immediately restrained him and I rejoined the main group."
It is understood the assailant was a remand prisoner who had just arrived at the prison.
