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Minister seeks submissions from public on proposed changes to licensing system

Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Justice and Equality, has today published the report of the Garda Síochána / Department of Justice and Equality Working Group established to conduct a review of firearms licensing.

The Minister said: “A key objective of firearms legislation is to protect society from the dangers associated with the misuse of firearms. While the great majority of licensed firearms do not give rise to specific concerns, the question has to be addressed whether specific categories of firearms pose risks to the extent that their ownership by private individuals should not be considered. This has to be seen against the background that An Garda Síochána is largely an unarmed police force.”

The main recommendations in the report are:

o That the licensing of handguns be confined to specified Olympic handguns
o That the licensing of centre-fire semi-automatic rifles be prohibited
o That the licensing of semi-automatic shotguns with a capacity of greater than three cartridges be prohibited
o That the grounds for disentitlement to hold firearms be expanded to include persons convicted of certain additional offences
o That the grounds for an appeal to the District Court against a refusal to grant a firearms certificate be extended
o That the reloading of ammunition be permitted in a controlled manner.

The Minister added: “Mass shootings have happened in other jurisdictions over the past number of years with tragic consequences. A common theme in some of these shootings is that the firearms used are legally owned. I think it is only right that we consider options now, rather than endure a similar tragedy here”.

The Minister has invited interested parties to make submissions on this Working Group Report. This process gives individuals and groups an opportunity to contribute to the development of firearms policy and legislation and will enable the Minister to consider the future direction of such legislation.

The Minister concluded: "I have previously committed to consulting with all parties, including user-groups, before deciding on changes to firearms licensing. I would encourage all those with views on this matter to now take this opportunity to make a submission."

The report is available on the Department’s website under recent publications at

http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB14000319