Armed standoffs and threats of self-harm - behind the scenes with garda negotiators

In just two days in June, garda negotiators had to deal with one man in an agitated state in his home, and another who pointed a gun at gardaí in their patrol car. File picture

Separate incidents over two days in June provide a rare glimpse into the potentially life-or-death mental health crisis situations that gardaí are called on to deal with.

They are situations, gardaí say, that have increased dramatically, with figures for callouts of the specialist National Negotiation Unit jumping by 90% so far this year.