Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009 to the House. The Bill contains a range of different measures which it is appropriate to address by way of legislation at this time to further improve the overall criminal justice system and update existing statutes in some areas where it is decided there is a need to do so.

I will first address the issue of firearms. I am determined to ensure that a gun culture is not allowed to form in this State. That determination has shaped my thinking in shaping this Bill, a substantial and important part of which is devoted to the licensing of firearms and associated issues. In total, there are 17 firearms and offensive weapons related sections which can be grouped into the following categories: public safety and control issues; technical matters; and efficiency and modernisation measures.

I will deal first with the sections which deal with matters of public safety and control. Section 28 addresses the licensing of handguns. For more than 30 years prior to 2004, all handguns were effectively banned in this jurisdiction. Following a series of judicial decisions, however, almost 2,000 handguns have been licensed in the past five years. This has come to pass without Government, Oireachtas or public policy decision and has resulted in an unacceptable new trend in the growth of handgun ownership which the House should now end. It would be disturbing if the assumption that a positive outcome for some shooting interest groups in some judicial review cases on licensing matters was somehow seen as an accretion of rights. This is flawed logic and I want to dispel any notions that there are any inherent rights to be considered here.

I am aware that some people have a strongly held view that once they are of good character and make the necessary secure arrangements for the storage of their firearms, they should be free to have firearms of any kind licensed to them. I do not agree with this view as it would constitute an unacceptable position in which where our gun laws could mirror those of countries such as those of the United States. If the current position were to continue unchecked, this scenario would be realised. We cannot allow this to happen. It is my duty as Minister to call "Stop" and address the current specific issues and longer-term strategic issues at the heart of this matter.

I would never be satisfied with circumstances in which firearms were freely available or, as in some jurisdictions, a notification system were in place under which one purchases a firearm and informs the authorities afterwards. I was conscious of the remarks made by Mr. Justice Peter Charleton in the High Court last July that a reasonable person is entitled to feel alarmed at the proliferation of handguns. I am aware, too, of calls made by many Members of the Oireachtas from parties on both sides to address this matter. It was against this background that I directed my Department and the Garda Síochána to carry out an urgent and intensive review of the firearms law. Following from that review, my proposals for reform in this area include a ban on issuing new licenses for handguns, although there will be limited exceptions for handguns designed for use in connection with competitions governed by International Olympic Committee regulations. As I announced at that time, those who already have licenses can, when they are due for renewal, apply to have them renewed albeit under the new licensing procedure where the safety of the community will be paramount.

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