A prison officer was scalded by boiling water and another bitten on the arm in an attack by an inmate in a Dublin prison last night.
The Prison Service said it was "disturbed and shocked" by the incident, which appeared to be an act of "vengeance".
The two officers were taken to hospital after last night's attack, in a segregation unit at Cloverhill Prison, west Dublin.
The inmate, who has not been identified, took a jug of boiling water mixed with sugar from a kitchen unit and was carrying it along a landing when challenged by an officer.
He threw it into the face of the officer - the sugar making the scalding water stick to his skin, a Prison Service spokesman said.
"A second officer then came to the aid of the first and was bitten on the arm," the spokesman said.
"Both were taken to Tallaght Hospital and they have now been discharged."
The spokesman went on: "It seems that the prisoner had somebody in mind for the attack.
"He had been subject to previous disciplinary action so he decided to get vengeance on somebody.
"It is a very, very disturbing and shocking attack by someone who has abused the privilege of the facilities. We utterly deplore what he did."
The spokesman said it was not yet certain whether there would be an investigation into the attack but the prisoner would be disciplined.
It was also not yet known whether the inmate would face charges arising from the attack.
"These kitchen facilities are offered for prisoners and are usually not abused," the spokesman said.
He added: "Fortunately both officers now seem to be OK, which is very reassuring from our point of view."
PA