Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today, as we speak. The committee has done a great deal of work on the issue and made proposals on the firearms licensing regime. The Chairman has spent a great deal of time working on the project along with Deputy McGrath. The proposed licensing authority is independent of An Garda Síochána. Will the authority be more of a consultative body rather than an administrative function for the force? Does the Commissioner believe that the new authority will speed up the licensing of firearms and ensure that we have quality control for licensed firearms that are licensed in this country? Will the initiative free up resources to allow An Garda Síochána tackle illegal firearms and weapons that are in the public domain?