All Garda personnel are to be issued with protective body armour vests, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said today.
A total of 11,000 protective vests will be worn by all gardaí on duty, Mr McDowell said.
Some 5,350 vests are being worn by gardaí around the State at the moment: 3,600 vests have been issued to gardaí on the beat, and 1,750 protective vests have been issued to gardaí in the detective branch and on plain-clothes duty.
There are two different designs of vest being issued to gardaí; one type is worn by plain-clothed armed gardaí, the other is worn by operational gardaí, such as members of the mounted unit and gardaí on the beat.
The vests are designed to protect against attacks involving implements such as a bottle or screw driver, and to protect wearers from knife and firearms assaults.
Mr McDowell said today: "It is an unfortunate fact of life that the environment in which the men and women of An Garda Síochána carry out their daily policing duties has a greater potential for violence against gardaí.
"In counteracting the personal risk that gardaí may face, myself and Commissioner [Noel] Conroy are determined that gardaí must have the necessary protective equipment available to them."