Gardaí issue €50m tender for 15,000 sets of body armour

In future, it may extend the contract to include up to 40,000 vests be provided to garda members

The gear must meet all their requirements to integrate with the existing garda uniform and equipment, such as bodycams, tetra radios, tasers and 'any future requirements the organisation may have'. File picture: Maxwells,

An Garda Síochána is set to spend up to €50m on a new contract for body armour for garda members to give them “suitable protection against knife and ballistic threats potentially associated with public policing”.

In a request for tender, it said it would place an initial order for 15,000 vests of various sizes, along with a further 350 sets including soft and hard armour plates and another 350 “ballistic covert body armour”.