I propose to take Questions Nos. 341, 345 and 349 together.
In light of public safety concerns
highlighted by An Garda Síochána and difficulties in the interpretation of the legislation expressed by members of the judiciary, a joint Department of Justice and Equality / An Garda Síochána Working Group was established by my Department to review firearms licensing. The Report of this Working Group was published on 13 November and submissions
on the Report have been sought from stakeholders and
the public by 31 January 2015. The consultation process gives individuals and groups an opportunity to contribute to the development of firearms policy and legislation and will enable consideration to be given to the future direction of such legislation.
I have already given a commitment that I will not make any decisions until I have had the opportunity to consider all the submissions which are made and I meet the key stakeholders, including the organisations who represent those who use firearms for sporting purposes. I would now urge all concerned to engage with this process so that the views of all concerned can be considered before decisions are made in relation to this matter.
In so far as a risk assessment is concerned, the Firearms Licensing Review report has regard to recent relevant EU Commission reports and developments in other jurisdictions in relation to public safety. A regulatory impact assessment will, of course, be conducted if there are any legislative proposals under consideration arising from the consultation process.
I do not consider that the statistics quoted by the Deputy undermine any of the arguments put forward in the review. What I believe is very important is that there is robust legislation in place to ensure the security of the public.