Mr. Michael Tope:

On the experience of dealing with the Department of Justice and Equality, we engaged with the Department over an 18 month period, approximately. Our objective was to try to bring an end to the ongoing litigation, as I have previously mentioned. We were invited by the Department and we discussed what we believed were its problems or issues. We produced a lengthy and detailed submission suggesting alternative approaches to resolving those issues. We also discussed matters such as increased home security and so forth and an apprenticeship scheme for pistol ownership. It would be much like the motor cycle licensing model, where one started off with low calibre firearms and one trained and demonstrated one's capability and interest in the sport, after which one could move on to different types of firearms. Believe it or not, that idea came from a senior civil servant and we worked on it. Unfortunately, the submission was put forward and I believe it was read, but we never discussed it. We never received a single question on it or anything that resembled a negotiation. It became apparent to us that we were going nowhere. We did not stop engagement. We had a meeting and there were no further meetings called.

It is interesting to note that the senior person in charge of the section in the Department of Justice and Equality moved shortly thereafter and that might have had something to do with it. I do not know. We then engaged with the replacement. We invited that civil servant out to one of our ranges so we could explain our sport. We were somewhat disheartened and a little suspicious, and I do not wish to do anybody wrong so I will not mention anybody-----