Social Welfare workers face attacks and death threats

Almost 200 social welfare office staff have reportedly been attacked while doing their job over the past two years.

The Irish Examiner reports they have faced death threats, knife attacks, physical assaults and verbal abuse.

Some of the most serious incidents have happened at the Navan Road, Longford and Carrick-on-Shannon social protection offices.

Also in Tallaght in Dublin, one member of the public had their neck slashed.

The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, said she takes threats against staff very seriously.

"In the new offices, we have set out to specifically improve the availability of CCTV, actual security guards in premises where that's required, and different devices like panic buttons if that's needed, where a staff member feels under threat," she said.