The re-establishment of the Firearms Consultative Panel (FCP) was part of a package of measures which the then Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, announced in September 2015 to address both immediate and long term issues in relation to firearms licensing.
The FCP is a non-statutory forum comprising various firearms interest groups and certain state bodies which the Department consults with on various matters relating to firearms.
The FCP met once a year in the years 2017 to 2019.
Since 2019 my Department has held meetings where possible with individual member organisations of the FCP upon request, and also engages with member organisations by email or written correspondence as necessary.
The membership of this panel is made up of the following organisations:
- Sports Coalition
- National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC)
- Target Shooting Ireland
- National Rifle Association of Ireland(NRAI)
- Irish Gun Trade Association
- Sport Ireland (formally the Irish Sports Council)
- National Parks & Wildlife Service
- Wild Deer Association of Ireland
- Irish Deer Society
- Irish Clay Pigeon Shooting Association
- Countryside Alliance Ireland
- Irish Farmers' Association
- National Association of Sporting Rifle and Pistol Clubs
- An Garda Síochána
- Gallery Rifle and Pistol Association of Ireland