The following table gives a breakdown of the licenses issued to game shooters under the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000 during the years in question.
Licence
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
Deer
|
1,763
|
1,902
|
2,018
|
2,215
|
2,443
|
Foreshore
|
575
|
511
|
429
|
239
|
616
|
Pen-reared Game Birds
|
61
|
52
|
48
|
51
|
56
|
Out of State Shooters*
|
2,962
|
2,670
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
TOTAL
|
5,361
|
5,135
|
2,495
|
2,505
|
3,115
|
*Under the Firearms (Firearm Certificates for Non Residents) Act 2000, the licensing function for non-residents visiting Ireland and wishing to hunt and shoot transferred from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform with effect from 1 March 2002.