Since the beginning of the year, more than €3.2 million has been spent on giving the Garda National Public Order Units more equipment. Of this amount, more than €200,000 has gone for canister holders and incapacitant spray, which have been used since the November 2023 riots in Dublin’s downtown, reports Breaking News.
Additionally, more than €114,000 was spent on the 600 round riot shields that the unit’s soldiers were given this year.
The GNPOU spends a certain amount on personal safety equipment in response to the growing need for the unit to police major public events, as evidenced by the latest numbers released by the Department of Justice.
The unit was sent to the former Crown Paints facility on Malahide Road in Coolock last month in response to anti-immigrant demonstrations that descended into violence and mayhem. The plant is expected to house applicants for international protection, reports Breaking News.
After the disturbances that began on November 23rd due to a knife assault on three children and a teacher on Parnell Square, it was determined that the public order unit needed more equipment.
Amidst looting and criminal damage committed by some demonstrators, the GNPOU had its largest-ever deployment, with 250 trained and equipped public order gardaí patrolling the city centre. The gardaí were also subjected to pyrotechnics being thrown and shot at them.
Over €2.3 million was spent on extra Garda public order equipment last year, according to Justice Minister Helen McEntee. Of that amount, over €442,000 was spent on riot helmets, and over €437,000 was spent on protective pads, reports Breaking News.
The one item that cost the most for GNPOU equipment in 2023 was riot dungarees, which came to almost €467,000.
Additional equipment purchased included boots, which came with a price tag of over €277,000, and “base layers,” or fire-resistant undergarments, which cost just less than €125,000.
Over €73,000 was spent on baseball hats, while another €92,637 was spent on batons, reports Breaking News.
According to Ms. McEntee, an extra €905,652 was spent on more riot dungarees and other equipment for the unit in the first half of 2024, totalling over €220,500.
Members of the unit received pepper spray or an enhanced potency incapacitant in February at a cost of €92,613.
Spending an additional €218,600 was allocated to body armour designated as “torso protectors,” while an additional €56,272 was spent on “groin protectors,” reports Breaking News.
Over the last 18 months, the unit has also spent more than €207,000 on gloves.
The Minister stated that she had no direct involvement in such expenditures since Drew Harris, the Garda Commissioner, is in charge of overseeing and administering the administration in answer to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD, Jim O’Callaghan, reports Breaking News.
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