A 33-year-old man has appeared at Galway District Court charged in connection with an incident in Oranmore today in which a garda received a number of injuries.

Niall Alvey, with an address at Gleann Dara, Rahoon, Galway city was charged with assault causing harm to the garda who is a member of the Armed Regional Support Unit, based in Salthill.

He had attended a house in Rinville earlier today, where he received minor injuries to the head and neck.

He is being treated at University Hospital Galway.

Mr Alvey has been remanded in custody to Castlerea Prison to appear in court again next Wednesday.

A solicitor for the accused expressed concern about her client's fitness to plead and the availability of appropriate psychiatric resources in the remand prison.

Judge Gerard Furlong made a specific request for immediate access to assessment and medical care upon arrival at Castlerea.

He said that, if necessary, Mr Alvey should be considered for transfer within the prison service to enable immediate medical and psychiatric assessment.