Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach will understand that the essence of what we do as elected representatives is to bring people with us when we implement legislation or alter legislation through a statutory instrument. Could the Taoiseach please explain what the process of setting up the firearms expert committee was? Who set the terms of reference and what criteria were used to appoint members to the committee? How many applicants applied to sit on the committee and who were the members of the interview panel with the credentials to determine expertise? None of the stakeholders has been engaged in this process and we find ourselves in a position where the Minister agreed to meet the experts of the National Association of Regional Game Councils, in which case they would determine whether or not the report that has been issued was derived from expertise. If he looks into it, the Taoiseach will find that it was not. We should be more transparent and we should bring people with us. I ask the Taoiseach to address that as the leader of Government.

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