John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

On Second Stage I pointed out that it does not seem sensible that when renewing my gun licence I must visit a local Garda station because a member of the Garda must be involved in the administration of such renewals. This could be done by a volunteer or competent secretary. While I realise that guns must be controlled and tracked, the licence renewal procedure should be reviewed.

In the past, gardaí were involved in noxious weed control and came out to check whether one had cut ragwort. I recall from my youth that the local garda cycled out to take the annual census of livestock. Thankfully, this is no longer the case, although I suspect that Garda responsibility in such matters remains on the Statute Book. There must be a more rational approach to organising some of the activities in which gardaí are involved.

On the question of powers, local models are available. I am a member of an angling club, several of whose members have warrants. As water keepers or bailiffs, they carry a warrant which confers certain powers on them. We must ensure that the volunteer force has the same powers, responsibilities and immunity as the main force.