Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, in view of the crime statistics 2005, a firearms amnesty system will be introduced in order to remove illegally held weapons from circulation here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3577/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose bringing forward a range of measures to strengthen the law governing the control of firearms in the Criminal Justice Bill 2004, which is currently before the House. These new measures include increases in fines and penalties generally for offences under the Firearms Acts and the creation of mandatory minimum sentences, of between five and ten years, for certain firearms offences, including possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances, possession of firearm with criminal intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, possession of a firearm while hijacking a vehicle, and use or production of a firearm to resist arrest.

In this context I also propose to introduce a statutory basis for an amnesty during which firearms may be surrendered to the Gárda Síochána before the proposed new penalties and minimum mandatory sentences are introduced. This will enable those in possession of firearms, who are not in compliance with the legal requirements, to regularise their position and thus enable the Gárda Síochána to concentrate on more serious offenders.