The two officers were attacked at 8:30 am and brought to hospital with serious but not life threatening slash wounds. The attack was unprovoked.
The weapon used in the incident was improvised.
The offending prisoner has been moved to the Challenging Behaviour unit and was involved in a previous incident involving one of the medical staff.
The Director General of the Irish Prison services stated that his thoughts were with the two officers and their families.
An investigation has been launched into the incident and a complaint has been filed to the gardaí.
Jim Mitchell, Deputy General Secretary stated this wasn’t the first incident of its kind and said,
“It is clear to all of us in the POA that Prison Service Management do not understand the day to day challenges being faced by prison officers on the frontline – and this is of deep concern to us”.
This attack has heightened security in Mountjoy Prison.