Brabazon welcomes taser pilot scheme for frontline Gardaí

Fianna Fáil TD Tom Brabazon has welcomed news that frontline Gardaí will be equipped with tasers as part of a pilot programme.

The Dublin Bay North TD welcomed the proposals by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, who raised the issue at Cabinet this week.

“Frontline Gardaí deal with unpredictable and often dangerous situations every single day,” Brabazon stated, and noted that “if a tool like a taser can help Gardaí bring a situation under control more safely, then it’s absolutely worth testing in a controlled and responsible way.”

As part of the pilot scheme, 120 specially trained frontline Gardaí in Dublin, Waterford and Kilkenny will carry tasers as part of their frontline duties.

Only Gardaí who are equipped with body-worn cameras will use the tasers; in 2024, Gardaí were equipped with body-worn cameras in certain Irish cities to better identify criminals, with civil rights groups expressing concern about the usage of the technology in the context of public gatherings.

Brabazon said “Gardaí are being injured on duty far too often, and that simply shouldn’t be the reality for people serving their communities.”

“Gardaí need the right tools to protect themselves and the public, and this pilot gives us a chance to see whether tasers can play a real, practical role in that.”

At present, frontline uniform Gardaí have limited tactical options, relying primarily on verbal de-escalation or calling for assistance from armed colleagues when situations escalate. 

Between 2014 and 2024, an average of 299 Gardaí were assaulted each year, underscoring the pressures facing frontline members and the need to explore additional protective tools.

A report into the November 2023 riots in Dublin City Centre noted that Gardaí were ill-equipped to handle large-scale events of that nature, and that frontline Gardaí were reluctant to use force as they didn’t have “adequate” back-up.

Brabazon said the scheme is about “modernising policing and strengthening public safety.”

“The taser pilot is one part of that wider effort, and it’s a sensible step forward,” the Fianna Fáil justice spokesperson said.