Minister to engage with stakeholders on firearm licence reform

The Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan has said that his department will continue to engage with stakeholders about reforming the firearm licensing system.

O’Callaghan said the reform of the firearm licensing system has been under consideration for a number of years, and that extensive consultation has been taken on the issue.

The minister was responding to a parliamentary question from Independent TD, Carol Nolan this week.

Deputy Nolan asked the minister if he recognises the contribution of firearm owners to conservation and rural communities, by supporting policies that balance public safety with the needs of responsible gun owners.

According to the minister, the Department of Justice holds meetings with individual firearms organisations on request.

It also engages with various firearms stakeholders in other ways, while An Garda Síochána also meets with stakeholder organisations in respect of relevant matters.

The Firearms Expert Committee (FEC), a non-statutory advisory body, was established in 2022 to provide guidance on matters related to firearms licensing in the state.

The FEC was tasked with making recommendations on a range of firearms matters, including carrying out an assessment of all types of firearms to determine their current use under the existing licensing system and their suitability for future licensing.

Firearms

In March 2023, the FEC published it’s reports, and a consultation was launched online in May 2023.

“As part of the consultation process the then Minister of State and department officials held meetings with a number of such groups so that they could feed in the views of their members, and this process continues,” the minister said.

“It is my intention, along with Minister of State [Niall Collins], to give early consideration to the FEC’s reports and the outcomes of the consultation process and to further engage with relevant stakeholders in relation to any potential changes to policy or legislation in this area,” he concluded.

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