Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the decision making process and principal factors taken into consideration by his Department when considering requests from foreign security personnel to carry firearms in this State; and the number of requests he has received each year for the past five years. [35395/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will appreciate that for obvious reasons it is not the practice and it would not be in the public interest to comment on matters related to the security of VIPs. The importation of firearms is strictly governed by legislation. In particular, pursuant to the Firearms (Firearms Certificates for Non-Residents) Act 2000, the Minister is empowered to grant firearms certificates to non-residents who apply for a firearms certificate for purposes other than hunting or sporting purposes. Any decision to grant a firearms certificate is made in consultation with the Garda Síochána, which at all times retains responsibility for law enforcement matters generally and in relation to visiting VIPs.