GARDAI WILL SPORT their new uniform from today, with a blue polo shirt replacing the current shirt worn by officers on duty.

It’s only the third time in the force’s history that its uniform has been formally changed.

And for the first time, parts of the uniform other than the cap will bear the Garda crest.

The current Garda cap will remain in operation as a “unique and distinctive element’ of the Garda uniform, while shirts and ties are being dropped.

Over the past few months, the new uniform has been delivered to approximately 13,000 members of the force with the rank of Garda, Seargeant and Inspector.

Policies around wearing official headwear for religious and cultural reasons had previously been updated, allowing turbans, kufis, topis, kippahs or hijabs.

Sources told The Journalearlier this year that, from the outset, quality over cost was the priority when deciding on the new uniform.

The updated uniform was a key recommendation within the report on the Future of Policing in Ireland.