Gardaí have spent more than € 120,000 on Faraday bags – special winged bags used to lock mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices from receiving signals.
The bags, which can be used to store evidence or to secure mobile devices or vehicle keys, were purchased for € 122,157 from Datapac, according to official Garda records.
The purchase was part of over € 43m in spending by private companies with An Garda Síochána in the first three quarters of 2020.
Gardaí declined to say why the Faraday bags would be used, citing “operational and security issues”.
The expenditure reports also account for expenditure of € 643,378 on incinerators and a further € 148,000 on firearms, together with parts and accessories for the firearms.
Gardaí also paid € 57,500 for a vest test – which they said included a test on a sub-ball and ballistic vest to make sure they meet safety standards.
A further € 400,000 was spent on the distribution of work shoes, € 237,181 for work trousers, with € 85,150 pushed out for watch jackets, according to records.
A further € 23,672 was spent on Canon camera equipment, but gardaí again refused to provide further details of that cost, citing operational and security concerns solely for the purchase of the equipment.
Much of the cost was associated with Covid-19 and protective measures for officers.
A total of € 136,150 was spent on delicate gowns with a further € 238,595 paid out for a number of masks, including liquid face shields.
There have been a number of incidents in recent months where guards have been suspended while on duty.
More than € 74,000 was issued for nitrile gloves while € 149,000 was raised with protective cover to help spread the virus.
The records also list € 640,000 in expenditure on general personal protective equipment (PPE) and € 635,000 on hygiene requirements.
A thermometer worth € 89,800 was also purchased and € 69,600 for Covid-19 wipes.
Other expenditure listed by Gardaí included € 37,800 on “public opinion polls”, the quarterly guards of public opinion on public sentiment on policing.
The largest cost was the purchase of vehicles, which amounted to € 8.3m and was paid to three car manufacturers – Jaguar Land Rover Ireland, Hyundai Ireland, and Ford.
More than € 1.85m has been spent on mobile devices by Eir, which is understood to cover the cost of buying phones as well as ongoing bills.
Other purchases included € 136,640 for lockers and safes, as well as € 135,106 for Garda helicopter support costs.
A further € 116,010 was spent on vehicle ties, and € 112,500 was spent on furniture for various Garda facilities around the country.
A total of € 32,314 was paid out for uniforms for garda mountain bikes and a further € 27,850 for a 15-seater minibus.
A statement from the Gardaí stated: “The costs reported for work boots, coat op [patrol jackets], and vest test [testing of anti-stab/ballistic vests continue to meet safety standards] they form part of ongoing annual budgets to meet operational demands. ”