Pat Moylan (Fianna Fail)

I support the Minister's position. As a firearm licenceholder since the mid-1960s, I have engaged in a considerable amount of game shooting over the years. In this section the Minister has made it difficult for people to be granted a licence to hold a firearm unless they comply with the provisions of the Bill. We must recognise the role played by gun clubs which will not accept applicants for membership unless they have undertaken training. Furthermore, in most cases individuals will not be granted a licence unless they are members of a gun club.

Subsection 3(d) of the principal Act requires that an applicant for a firearm certificate must supply the name of two referees. A referee will support an applicant in good faith whom he or she knows to be of good character, but the referee cannot be held responsible if something goes wrong at a later date. Having read this section, the Minister has covered all aspects in ensuring that only genuine applicants who have a real interest in game shooting will be granted a licence.

Subsection (4) of the principal Act states that a member of the Garda Síochána may inspect the accommodation where a firearm is held. I urge the Minister to request Garda superintendents or sergeants to carry out a number of such inspections in a catchment area annually. In an area where 500 or 600 firearm licences are held, the Garda might carry out 100 inspections of the accommodation where the firearms are kept to ensure they are safely stored in gun cages and cannot be taken out of such gun safes. Nearly all firearms holders have gun safes. Many gun clubs insist that their members store their guns in a gun safe. The Minister might request the Garda to conduct approximately 100 on-the-spot checks of the accommodation where firearms are stored to ensure that guns are in safe keeping. I compliment the Minister on this section.