A taser pilot programme introduced by gardaí last December is to be extended for a further six months and expanded to include the Limerick division, as the latest figures show tasers have been deployed 15 times since the programme began.
The pilot, launched late last year, saw tasers issued to frontline uniformed gardaí at Store Street, Pearse Street and Kevin Street stations in Dublin, as well as in Waterford, reports RTE.
The programme is now being expanded to Limerick and extended for a further six months.
So far, 167 gardaí have been issued with tasers, reports RTE.
Since December 2025, tasers were used on 15 occasions — three discharges, five instances where the taser was drawn and armed, and seven where a person had the taser’s laser pointed at them.
In seven cases there was an arrest and charge, one person fled and was not apprehended, and three others were detained under the Mental Health Act, reports RTE.
One person was taken to hospital, though gardaí said this was not “related to the use of Garda force.”
All three discharges were referred to the police ombudsman, Fiosrú, in line with garda policy, reports RTE.
In one incident, gardaí were called to a report of domestic violence where a woman said she and her son had been assaulted by her former partner, including both having been bitten by him.
The man became aggressive when gardaí approached but stood down after one of the officers drew their taser from its holster, and was subsequently arrested and charged, reports RTE.
Deputy Commissioner for Security, Strategy and Governance, Paul Cleary, said the pilot programme had “demonstrated the effectiveness of the taser as a de-escalation tool.”
“It has also been welcomed by gardaí and local garda management as providing additional protection to our personnel who have to deal with a wide variety of potentially violent situations on a daily basis,” he added, reports RTE.
All gardaí equipped with tasers undergo a three-day training course, and tasers are only deployed in situations where body cameras are in use.
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