Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of legally held firearms here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18434/06]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of legally held firearms that were found to be used in crimes here in 2005. [18435/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the information requested is not readily available. I will write to the Deputy with the information as soon as I obtain it from the Gardaí.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of offences committed here in 2005 which involved the use of a firearm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18436/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that the total number of headline offences recorded in the year 2005 which involved the use of a firearm was 536 and the total detected was 214. The figures provided are provisional, operational and liable to change.

In relation to firearms in general, 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 Select Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. 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 a 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 Garda 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 Garda Síochána to concentrate on more serious offenders.