Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

When this patient's relatives asked the man to extinguish his cigarette, he responded with a threat to do so on the patient's neck. Two laws were broken in this instance in that the aggressor was smoking in a confined public place and threatening and abusing other persons. Why are patients exposed to intimidation, violence and aggression in accident and emergency departments? Such has become almost standard behaviour but the Minister of State responds only with glib remarks about the number of patients.

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