Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 March 2023
563. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if he and his Department will engage with and consult with a group (details supplied), with a view to reaching an agreement on the best way forward in the management of licensing of firearms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14803/23]
View answer565. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the steps he is taking to ensure that the Firearms Expert Committee engages with firearms owners’ associations and hunting associations. [14879/23]
View answer567. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the consultations and stakeholder engagements that are planned between the Firearms Expert Committee and the representative bodies for organisations involved in FURG (Firearms Users Representative Group) in regards to the current review of firearms licensing in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14912/23]
View answer568. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice if the Minister of State with responsibility for law reform will meet a group (details supplied) as a matter of urgency in order that the views and the real concerns of license holders can be fully taken into account. [14956/23]
View answer589. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to a request from a group (details supplied) to engage with it in relation to the Firearms Expert Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15305/23]
View answer591. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice if the firearms expert committee will consult with the firearms users representative group in respect of the review of firearms licensing in Ireland; if firearm stakeholders can be represented on the firearms expert committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15355/23]
View answer602. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice the steps he is taking to ensure that an organisation (details supplied) is consulted regarding matters of firearm regulation throughout the Firearms Expert Committee's review process, ensuring that its concerns regarding the firearms licensing process are heard. [15455/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 563, 565, 567, 568, 589, 591 and 602 together.
I can advise the Deputies that the final meeting of the Firearms Expert Committee (FEC) took place on 3 March 2023, and that the Committee has now finalised its reports. I understand that the reports will be submitted to me imminently and it is my intention to publish them shortly after this, along with the minutes of its meetings. The role of the FEC was to make recommendations to me for subsequent consideration. As I have emphasised throughout the process, any proposed changes to policy or legislation arising from any of the recommendations by the Committee will of course be subject to prior consultation with firearms stakeholders.
I can further advise the Deputies the FEC was made up of five members: an independent Chairperson, a representative of An Garda Síochána, a representative of the Department of Justice, and two non-governmental Ordinary Members having experience of firearms. This structure was chosen to give balanced representation to both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.
On 31 March, 2022, expressions of interest were sought from suitably qualified candidates for appointment to the FEC. The documentation in this regard, which included the Committee’s Terms of Reference, was published on the Department of Justice’s website and shared with various stakeholder organisations. The call for expressions of interest was administered by officials from the Criminal Justice Policy Function of the Department of Justice which also acted as the Secretariat to the FEC. Appointment to the FEC was conducted in line with the process advised in the expressions of interest document. As was advised therein, the Ordinary Members of the FEC were appointed on a personal basis only and not as formal representatives of a particular body or group. I would point out, however, that both of the Ordinary Members appointed are Registered Firearms Dealers and are, or have been, members of national firearms organisations.
On this basis, and as the FEC has now finalised its reports, I will not be revisiting the composition of the committee.
