asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline in detail in respect of each of the years 1960, 1970 and 1980 to 1985, inclusive; (a) the number of gun licences held in the country; (b) the total amount of money accruing from gun licences to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Firearms Certificates.
145.
Limerick East): The number of firearms certificates issued by the Garda Síochána to residents in the State and the total amount of receipts from firearms certificates is as follows:—
|
Licensing Year ending 31 July |
Number of Firearms Certificates Issued |
Financial Year ending 31 December |
Amount of receipts |
|
£ |
|||
|
1979/80 |
154,006 |
1980 |
695,740 |
|
1980/81 |
160,171 |
1981 |
952,697 |
|
1981/82 |
170,736 |
1982 |
852,841 |
|
1982/83 |
171,392 |
1983 |
1,546,677 |
|
1983/84 |
170,632 |
1984 |
1,830,754 |
|
1984/85 |
176,173 |
1985 |
2,089,886 |
Statistics in relation to 1960 and 1970 are not readily available and could only be got by the expenditure of an inordinate amount of staff time and resources.
The receipts also include fees for firearms certificates issued to non-residents (mainly visitors, for game-shooting) by my Department and by the Forest and Wildlife Service of the Department of Fisheries and Forestry. In recent years those fees, on average, were of the order of £20,000 per annum.