Irish Country Sports Association • Hunt Woodcock, Pigeon, Sika, Red and Fallow Deer, Pheasants, duck and fishing in Ireland.

Statements

Ireland’s shooting organisations unite to address firearms licensing concerns.

Ireland’s leading shooting and countryside organisations have come together under the Umbrella of the ‘Firearms Users Representative Group’ (FURG).

FURG was established to address the widespread concern and direction of the “Firearms Expert Committee” (FEC) was taking, and its continued lack of consultation with firearms users and their representatives. There is also growing concern regarding increasing bureaucracy and unnecessary delays within the firearms licencing process, inconsistency in application of firearms law, and the perceived exercise of personal views by Garda Superintendents involved in firearms licencing. Recently the Gardai do not seem to know what they are doing in relation to telescopic scopes.

We have been informed today Thursday 16.3.2023 by the Department of Justice, that they will not meet us, and they are going to produce their Report without any input from us or indeed any ‘user’.

The FEC was formed by the Department of Justice in June 2022 to carry out a comprehensive and potentially far-reaching review of firearms licencing in Ireland. For example, the committee has been tasked with making recommendations on which types of firearms should be licensable in the future, whether firearms certificates should be conditioned to limit the locations where firearms can be used or the purpose for which they may be used. FEC has also been tasked with making recommendations on whether there should be a limit on the number and type of firearms a person may hold.

FURG groups and their members have not received equitable or fair treatment in this process, and this is as a direct result of the manner Minister for state James Brown has set up this FEC, and this process generally.

A spokesperson for the FURG said: “Members of our respective organisations are genuinely concerned about the issues being discussed by the Firearms Expert Committee, without any input from any shooting representatives which could have significant implications for shooting sports. We will insist that our members concerns are heard during this process and will strongly oppose any attempt to unfairly restrict shooting sports.”

  • All the Member of the FURG organisations are asked to become active on this as follows:
    Contact your local Councillors, TD’s, Senator’s, MEP’s, and ask them to contact James Brown, Minister for state in the Department of Justice, to give Firearm owners like you fair and equitable treatment in this process, and follow up with them to make sure it’s done.
  • Bring this to the attention of all your club members, friends, and particularly the farmers in your area. Raise the awareness in the rural community of the way this government is treating rural Ireland yet again

Firearms Users Representative Group (FURG) member organisations include, National Association of Regional Game Councils, Country Sports Ireland. FACE Ireland, Irish Deer Society, Irish Deer Commission, Wild Deer Association of Ireland, Deer Alliance HCAP, Countryside Alliance (Ireland), Irish Firearms Dealers’ Association, Irish Clay Target Shooting Association, National Association of Sporting Rifle & Pistol Clubs, Irish Country Sports Association, Precision Rifles Ireland.