Mr. Desmond Crofton:

Deputy Kenny mentioned the issue of stolen firearms in the report. I take great issue with the statistics used because depending on who one listens to and where the question is posed, one tends to hear a different statistic in this regard.

I draw the committee's attention to the figure quoted in the report, namely, 1,134 stolen firearms in the period 2010 to 2013. That represents 0.554% of all firearms licensed in the State during that period and taken on an annual basis, it is 0.138%. It is minuscule.

On 17 December the joint group came before the committee and it was alluded to that 45 semi-automatic shotguns would be affected. I have an issue with that statistic. There are 8,700 semi-automatic shotguns licensed in the State. They are the favoured shooting tool of farmers. In terms of having one which is restricted in its manufacture, the recommendation in the report refers to "manufactured not to hold...". The operative word is "manufactured". There is no semi-automatic manufactured in which the magazine cannot be changed. That is a particular problem. That would mean that every semi-automatic shotgun in the country would be affected by these proposals, and that is many more than 45. Only last week in the Dáil in response to a question from Deputy Collins, if I am not mistaken, the Minister stated that regarding this matter only - I note the use of the word "only" - 6% of firearms would be affected. That is now 12,000 firearms that would be affected. Members will see the difficulty I have with these moveable statistics.

I want to make one last point on that. Regarding the figure of 1,134 firearms, the committee may not be aware but that figure includes deactivated firearms, starting pistols which do not fire anything at all, humane killers, which would be stolen from vets and so on, and firearms stolen from firearms dealers' premises. In other words, a great many firearms are not sitting with ordinary firearms licenceholders but the theft of those are being laid at our doorstep, as it were, as a justification for this report. That is one of the reasons it has become rather offensive to support people who engage in shooting for sport.