Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)

I put it to the Minister that the National Association of Regional Game Councils is a very knowledgeable and responsible association. I have spoken with the leaders of the association and I am satisfied that they only wish to have a firearms licensing system which is secure, fair, transparent, free of prejudice and administered in a consistent manner with due regard for the provisions of the legislation as enacted by the Oireachtas, which it fully supports. It believes this can be achieved by a centralised system with independent oversight and a non-judicial system of appeal. I put it to the Minister that the courts of law should be the last source of the appeal which should be in place.

The current system, as stated by Mr. Justice Hedigan, is flawed and does not work. I suggest that all those involved - the Ministers, the Department, the Garda and the representative of the game councils - should sit down together and rather than talk at a distance come to an agreement because until they sit down and discuss all aspects of it and examine the different opinions, we will not have a resolution to this issue. Certain people who are involved in the area of competition feel very strongly about the situation. They may be in the minority but they are an important group as well.

See this speech in context