| Irish: Aonad Faireacháin Náisiúinta | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1995 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Jurisdiction | Ireland |
| Headquarters | Phoenix Park, Dublin (D8) Harcourt Street, Dublin (D2) |
| Employees | Undisclosed (estimated 100) |
| Annual budget | Undisclosed (part of Garda Síochána budget, €1.34 billion in 2014) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Crime & Security Branch Garda Síochána |
The National Surveillance Unit (NSU) (Irish: Aonad Faireacháin Náisiúinta) is the principal clandestine intelligence gathering and surveillance operations unit of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of Ireland. The unit operates under the Crime & Security Branch (CSB), based at Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and also works from Harcourt Street, Dublin. Members of the unit are specially trained and selected Detective Gardaí who are tasked to remain covert whilst on and off duty, tracking suspected criminals, terrorists and hostile, foreign spies operating in Ireland. The unit's detectives are routinely armed. The National Surveillance Unit is understood to possess a manpower of approximately 100 officers, and is considered to be the most secretive arm of the force.[1][2]
- ^ O'Keeffe, Cormac (20 April 2009). "Surveillance in the spotlight". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ Mooney, John (6 May 2012). "Security lapses by garda agents". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.