New body armour rolled out to public order gardaí
Eva Osborne
New and upgraded body armour is being rolled out nationwide to public order gardaí.
Frontline members of the Garda National Public Order Unit (GNPOU) will receive the body armour. There are currently over 1,500 trained public order gardaí.
The rollout involves an initial investment of over €3.6 million, which will include personal-issue body armour to all GNPOU operators. A full rollout is set to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
The new body armour includes:
- Enhanced fire safety material with integrated metatarsal and ankle protection;
- A waistcoat-style carrier with multiple adjustment points for better fit and increased mobility;
- MOLLE (Modular, Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment) webbing, allowing for the carriage of tactical equipment;
- Click-fast docks for seamless Tetra radio and Body-Worn Camera integration;
- Slash, stab and impact protection.
An Garda Síochána said each public order member will be fitted on-site for their new equipment, ensuring that the armour can be correctly adjusted for each Garda.
The armour will be worn in three different levels in line with a graduated response, from soft cap deployment to full public order Personal Protective Equipment PPE.
