Mr. Damien Hannigan:

On behalf of our members, I thank the committee for the invitation to brief it on our issues with and concerns about the proposed amendments to the current firearm licensing system, which are contained in the recently published report by the Department of Justice and Equality-Garda Síochána working group. I wish to acknowledge the courtesy and assistance that the association has received from the committee secretariat, notably Mr. Alan Guidon, in preparing for this session.

Please let me introduce myself. My name is Damien Hannigan and I am secretary of the Wild Deer Association of Ireland. This organisation represents the interests of more than 4,500 deer stalkers throughout Ireland. Our members also partake in other licensed sports, including competition target shooting, another activity affected by the proposed amendments. Our interest goes beyond one of sport, though. We assist with the training and certification of deer stalkers and educate in the skills of ethical deer management. The association also focuses on the conservation of Ireland's deer population and continues to work closely with the Garda and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, in tackling Ireland's wildlife crime epidemic. We work with other leading country sports organisations, such as Countryside Alliance Ireland, to ensure these animals are protected for future generations.

As the committee will be aware, there has been considerable controversy about the proposals contained in the working group report. This is because the report is not only flawed, but also highly offensive to Ireland's responsible sporting shooters. Several statements and comments have been made by the working group that suggest there is a relationship between the ownership of legally held, sporting firearms and criminal activity. The report cites public safety as the basis for the proposed changes. While public safety is to the fore of the association's objectives, we strongly disagree with this aspect of the report, as there is no evidence to show any link between legally held sporting firearms and a risk to the safety of the general public.

If we look to other examples of firearms legislation, we can receive guidance on what is effective for both the responsible sporting shooters and public safety. Northern Ireland has some of the strictest gun licensing laws but the use of handguns and the reloading of ammunition in a private residence are licensed without negative consequences for public safety or an increase in criminal activity. In fact, a recent report published by the PSNI shows a year-on-year decline in firearm and ammunition offences since 2003, resulting in just four offences in 2014.

We fully agree that any firearm licensing policy must satisfy the suitability of an individual to hold a firearm licence in the interests of public safety. The association and Ireland’s responsible shooters see the current licensing system as completely sufficient in this regard. Our current licensing system ranks as one of the most restrictive within the EU. As a responsible hunting organisation, we welcome any attempt to end the criminal misuse of firearms. However, we reiterate that there is no relationship between the ownership of legally held sporting firearms and criminal activity. If our organisation can provide any further information to the Chairman or members of the committee, we would be happy to oblige.