The Emergency Response Unit of the Garda Síochána

Garda Síochána

, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...

 is a specialist armed intervention unit under the Special Detective Unit

Special Detective Unit

The Special Detective Unit is a unit of an Garda Síochána under its Crime & Security Branch. They are a replacement for the older Special Branch unit, which itself replaced the CID in 1923...

, formed to deal with situations that cannot be handled by regular Garda officers.

The ERU was formed as the Special Task Force in 1978, following a decision of Justice Ministers at the Ninth Council of the EEC at Brussels in 1975. The Special Task Force was based in Dublin and it formed part of the Special Detective Unit

Special Detective Unit

The Special Detective Unit is a unit of an Garda Síochána under its Crime & Security Branch. They are a replacement for the older Special Branch unit, which itself replaced the CID in 1923...

 in Harcourt Street.