Over €3.2 million has been spent since the start of last year on providing additional equipment to the Garda National Public Order Units include over €200,000 on incapacitant spray and canister holders which have been rolled out since the riots in Dublin city centre in November 2023.
Over €114,000 has also been spent on some 600 round riot shields which were issued to members of the unit this year.
The new figures published by the Department of Justice shows the level of spending on personal safety equipment for the GNPOU in the face of increased demand for the unit to police large public gatherings.
The deployment of the GNPOU has increased in the past year due to growing tension at anti-immigration demonstrations staged by protestors outside properties earmarked to house asylum seekers.
Last month, the unit was deployed to the former Crown Paints factory on Malahide Road in Coolock after violence and disorder broke out at a number of anti-immigrant protests outside the plant which is set to accommodate international protection applicants.
The need for additional equipment for the public order unit was identified following the riots which were sparked on November 23 last by a knife attack on three children and a teacher on Parnell Square.
It resulted in the largest ever mobilisation of the GNPOU with 250 trained and equipped public order gardaí patrolling the city centre after some protestors engaged in criminal damage and looting, while gardaí also had fireworks thrown and fired at them.
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, said over €2.3 million was spent on purchasing additional Garda public order equipment last year with over €442,000 spent on riot helmets and almost €437,000 on protection pads.
The single biggest expenditure item for GNPOU equipment in 2023 was approximately €467,000 for riot overalls.
Other equipment bought included boots at a cost of almost €277,000 and fire-resistant underclothing known as “base layers” to the value of just under €125,000.
Another €92,637 was spent on batons as well as over €73,000 on baseball caps.
Ms McEntee said a further €905,652 had been spent in the first six months of 2024 on more equipment for the unit including over €220,500 on additional riot overalls.
An increased strength incapacitant or pepper spray was issued to members of the unit in February at a cost of €92,613.
A further €218,600 was spent on body armour classified as “torso protectors”, while another €56,272 was spent on “groin protectors.”
Over €207,000 has also been spent on gloves for the unit over the past 18 months.
In response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD, Jim O’Callaghan, the Minister said she had no direct role in such expenditure as the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of An Garda Síochána.
Ms McEntee said the Garda Commissioner also took decisions in relation to the purchase, allocation and management of Garda equipment and resources.
The latest figures show An Garda Síochána also spent over €51,000 so far this year on trifold handcuffs which are considered ideal for crowd control situations.
“They will allow for quicker application of restraints to arrested persons in the various challenging environments where Garda members are deployed,” said Ms McEntee.
According to the Minister, the GNPOU provides tactical support as well as a graduated policing response to appropriate incidents, while effectively assisting frontline gardaí.
Ms McEntee pointed out that members of the GNPOU are only required to perform public order duties when operational demands require their deployment.
Otherwise, they are engaged in routine policing duties as the GNPOU is not a full-time unit.
Ms McEntee said members of the unit are deployed from across the organisation for operational requirements when the need arises.
It is deployed in the Dublin Metropolitan Region on a daily basis although the number of personnel in the unit at any time is not revealed for operational and security reasons.
The figures do not include any expenditure on water cannons, although Ms McEntee confirmed earlier this year that work was ongoing on a business case to purchase two water cannons.
Gardaí have an arrangement to acquire two water cannons on loan from the PSNI with one vehicle recently on standby at a protest in Coolock.
A total of 15 new public order vans are due to become available before the end of 2024, while there were 31 public order vans in the Garda fleet at the end of May.
The Policing Authority is due to report back soon on its examination of the public order capability of gardaí which was commissioned by Ms McEntee following the riots last November.
The Garda Commissioner also promised in the aftermath of those riots that the force would be adding to the 1,000 members already trained in public order policing.
