A human rights group has condemned the use of spit hoods by Gardai.
16,000 will be deployed to front line officers during the public health crisis to protect them from being spat or coughed at by suspects.
The average spit hood is around 3 euro meaning a cost to the state of up to €50,000.
However the Irish Council for Civil Liberties says the devices are humiliating and potentially dangerous.
Spokesperson Doireann Ansbro says their use is unnecessary:
"They're extremely controversial, and in other jurisdictions where they've been introduced we've seen the've led to serious injuries.
"They can actually lead to higher incidents of assaults on police.
"And form a human rights perspective they're humiliating and degrading - the hoods go completely over people's faces, and this could constitute a breach of the right to liberty."
