Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 November 2013
505. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the approval for use of silencers on rifles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50541/13]
View answerUnder Section 7 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990, a silencer for a non-restricted rifle must be authorised by a Superintendent of An Garda Síochána of the District in which the applicant resides. The Superintendent must be satisfied that granting such an application will not endanger public safety or the peace and that the applicant has a special need that is, in the opinion of the Superintendent, sufficient to justify the granting of an authorisation for a silencer.
A decision to grant or refuse an authorisation for a silencer rests solely with the Superintendent of the District where the applicant resides, and for each application a Superintendent can take account of a broad range of factors. The Garda Commissioner's Guidelines as to the Practical Application and Operation of the Firearms Acts, available on the website www.garda.ie, provides guidance on the issue. As a decision maker under the Firearms Acts, a Superintendent is independent in the carrying out of his functions, and I as Minister have no role in the decision making process.
