Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

If Deputy Kenny and his party allow, I will answer the question. I will not need long. I will not go back into all the facts and figures about legislation. Deputy Kenny asked if we are proceeding with criminal justice legislation, and firearms legislation in particular. The entire Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill 2005 should be finished as gun crime is not the only problem. There is a series of other issues.

Gun crime provisions in firearms legislation is particularly important, as it creates mandatory minimum sentences of between five and ten years for certain firearm offences, including possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances, possession of a firearm with criminal intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, possession of a firearm while hijacking a vehicle in use, or production of a firearm to resist arrest. It requires all persons wishing to legally hold a firearm to satisfy the Garda that secure accommodation is provided for the firearm. It allows the Minister to deem certain firearms as restricted by reference to specific criteria, including the calibre, action type and muzzle energy of the firearm. In future, any person wishing to obtain a certificate for such a firearm will have to apply directly to the Garda Commissioner.

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