Mr. Fergus Healy:

We have looked at legislative provisions in different jurisdictions and the systems are all different. It is unfair to compare to the United States which is a law unto itself with respect to firearms. The model in the United Kingdom in which handguns and high velocity rifles can no longer be licensed is probably the best we have found and one we would put forward as a means of dealing with the issue. At the same time we are striking a balance between people who want to shoot on a recreational basis, for game or deerstalking under licence, both by An Garda Síochána and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with respect to shooting deer. These areas are well regulated, but the tide has shifted, from a situation where a move had been made to restrict high calibre handguns, in particular, to one where people can now apply for a licence for handguns that are, in effect, a clone of the gun that was originally prohibited.