asked the Minister for Justice the circumstances in which a garda may use firearms.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Firearms Use.
40.
The circumstances in which a member of the Garda Síochána may use firearms are governed by the law of the land. The interpretation of the law is, of course, a matter for the courts and it would be inappropriate for me to undertake to give any such interpretation in reply to a parliamentary question.
In practical terms, however, the position is as follows: the Garda Síochána are an unarmed force and only a small minority of members engaged on special duties are allowed to carry firearms. In that sense, the great majority of the force are not in a position to use firearms even where it is legally permissible for them to do so. As regards the small minority authorised to carry firearms, they have, of course, detailed instructions as to the circumstances in which the firearms may be used, but these are internal administrative instructions which have always, as far as I am aware, been treated as confidential.
I may say, however, in general terms that the instructions are not only intended to ensure that the use of firearms will always be restricted to circumstances where their use is lawful but also designed to promote a highly developed awareness of the responsibility, in human terms, attaching even to the lawful use of firearms. I think that the history of the Garda Síochána has shown very clearly how well its members have lived up to that responsibility.