Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 October 2017
122. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number and type of firearms, ammunition and related items reported stolen or lost in each of the years 2014 to 2016; and the reason these figures were excluded from the 2015 and 2016 annual reviews of the operation of the Firearms Acts. [42114/17]
View answerI have asked the Garda Commissioner for report on this matter and I will write to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A:
Section 31 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 inserted a new Section 3E into the Principal Act and provides for the Commissioner to conduct an annual review of the operation of the Firearms Acts 1925 to 2009 and to submit a report to the Minister specifying the number and classes of certificates and authorisations issued under the Acts. The section does not require the mandatory inclusion of statistics for stolen and/or lost firearms in each annual review report. Seven annual review reports have been laid before both houses of the Oireachtas since the introduction of the new firearms licensing processes and statistics for stolen and/or lost firearms have been referenced in only two of those seven reports.
The following tables provide the number of licensed firearms by type and status recorded on the PULSE system as stolen and lost for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. Figures are provided from PULSE as of 20 October 2017:
|
YEAR |
TYPE |
STATUS |
TOTAL |
|
2014 |
Air Rifle |
Lost |
2 |
|
2014 |
Rifle (Bolt Action) |
Lost |
7 |
|
2014 |
Rifle (Pump Action) |
Lost |
2 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun (Semi Automatic) |
Lost |
1 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun (Single Barrel) |
Lost |
17 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun (Under And Over) |
Lost |
29 |
|
Total |
58 |
|
YEAR |
TYPE |
STATUS |
TOTAL |
|
2014 |
Air Rifle |
Stolen |
2 |
|
2014 |
Rifle |
Stolen |
2 |
|
2014 |
Rifle (Bolt Action) |
Stolen |
32 |
|
2014 |
Rifle (Lever Action) |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2014 |
Rifle (Pump Action) |
Stolen |
4 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun (Pump Action) |
Stolen |
4 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun (Semi Automatic) |
Stolen |
5 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun (Single Barrel) |
Stolen |
32 |
|
2014 |
Shotgun (Under And Over) |
Stolen |
69 |
|
Total |
152 |
|
YEAR |
TYPE |
STATUS |
TOTAL |
|
2015 |
Air Rifle |
Lost |
2 |
|
2015 |
Rifle |
Lost |
1 |
|
2015 |
Rifle (Bolt Action) |
Lost |
2 |
|
2015 |
Rifle (Pump Action) |
Lost |
5 |
|
2015 |
Shotgun (Single Barrel) |
Lost |
18 |
|
2015 |
Shotgun (Under And Over) |
Lost |
10 |
|
Total |
38 |
|
YEAR |
TYPE |
STATUS |
TOTAL |
|
2015 |
Air Rifle |
Stolen |
4 |
|
2015 |
Pistol (Semi Automatic) |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2015 |
Rifle |
Stolen |
2 |
|
2015 |
Rifle (Bolt Action) |
Stolen |
24 |
|
2015 |
Rifle (Lever Action) |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2015 |
Rifle (Pump Action) |
Stolen |
5 |
|
2015 |
Shotgun (Pump Action) |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2015 |
Shotgun (Semi Automatic) |
Stolen |
7 |
|
2015 |
Shotgun (Single Barrel) |
Stolen |
17 |
|
2015 |
Shotgun (Under And Over) |
Stolen |
59 |
|
Total |
121 |
|
YEAR |
TYPE |
STATUS |
TOTAL |
|
2016 |
Air Rifle |
Lost |
1 |
|
2016 |
Revolver (Single Action) |
Lost |
1 |
|
2016 |
Rifle |
Lost |
2 |
|
2016 |
Rifle (Bolt Action) |
Lost |
4 |
|
2016 |
Rifle (Lever Action) |
Lost |
1 |
|
2016 |
Rifle (Pump Action) |
Lost |
3 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun |
Lost |
1 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Lever Action) |
Lost |
1 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Pump Action) |
Lost |
1 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Single Barrel) |
Lost |
21 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Under And Over) |
Lost |
26 |
|
Total |
62 |
|
YEAR |
TYPE |
STATUS |
TOTAL |
|
2016 |
Air Rifle |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2016 |
Pistol (Semi Automatic) |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2016 |
Rifle |
Stolen |
1 |
|
2016 |
Rifle (Bolt Action) |
Stolen |
11 |
|
2016 |
Rifle (Pump Action) |
Stolen |
2 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Pump Action) |
Stolen |
4 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Semi Automatic) |
Stolen |
4 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Single Barrel) |
Stolen |
21 |
|
2016 |
Shotgun (Under And Over) |
Stolen |
49 |
|
Total |
94 |
Additional information:
Please note that the data provided refers only those firearms lost or stolen connected to a firearms certificate as only statistics in relation to licensed firearms were included in previous annual reviews. The types of firearms recorded as lost/stolen on PULSE using a search criteria other than licensed firearms can include objects that should not be recorded as firearms such as imitation firearms, toy guns, gun-safes, flares, etc.
