I propose to take Questions Nos. 262, 266, 267, 274, 279 and 296 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 final decisions until I have had the opportunity to consider all the submissions which are made and I subsequently 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 final decisions are made in relation to this matter.
The Garda Commissioner has made a decision, with Ministerial consent, to issue new Garda Guidelines on the Firearms Acts which exclude the former Annexe F of the guidelines. The interpretation of the previous Annexe F had caused serious difficulties and confusion in regard to applications for firearm certificates for .22 calibre handguns and has resulted in over 30 Judicial Review applications to date. The Commissioner made this decision to issue new Guidelines, without Annexe F, on foot of consultations with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and Counsel for the State regarding Judicial Review applications on the licensing of .22 calibre handguns. There have been no changes to either primary or secondary legislation as a result of amending these guidelines. A more general revision of the Garda Guidelines will be carried out in light of the outcomes of the public consultation on the review of firearms licensing.