Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider an appropriate payment system for the gun licence, which has recently been brought into law, whereby pensioners who are the holders of valid licences would only have to pay one year in advance rather than the three years that is demanded under the legislation; if he will consider the scheme proposed in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42459/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Following consideration of the matter within my Department, including discussions at the Firearms Consultative Panel, it was agreed that the fee for a firearms certificate should be the same irrespective of the type of firearm, to reflect the cost of processing the application and to simplify the system. The new firearms certificate will last for three years and the fee was calculated with a view to maintaining existing revenue flows and with this in mind, after consultation with the Minister for Finance, it was set at €80. I should point out that, as part of the transition phase of the introduction of the three year licence, existing licence holders received extensions to their old licences on an uncharged for basis for an average period of six months.

The new system is more modern, more thorough and more efficient and, as the Deputy may be aware, the fee had not been increased since 1992. The three year licence was provided for in the Criminal Justice Act 2006 and it is not possible to put in place the payment arrangements envisaged by the Deputy.