Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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262. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on an issue raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding firearms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44800/14]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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266. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will engage with interest groups in relation to the publication last week of the report on firearms licensing; if she will meet the interest groups in question without delay; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that if the recommendations are enacted as per the report they will penalise legitimate and law abiding individuals who currently hold guns legally for hunting and sporting reasons; if she will provide a guarantee that legitimate firearm holders for the purposes of sport and hunting will be provided for by any legislation in this regards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44913/14]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will implement the recommendations of her Department's An Garda Síochána working group on review of firearms and licensing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44915/14]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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274. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will confirm having received the correspondence from an organisation (details supplied); if in that context she will ensure real and meaningful consultations take place in order to enable these organisations input into the review of the firearms legislation pertaining to this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45029/14]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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279. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will facilitate a meeting between her Department and interested parties as part of the consultation process arising from the publication of the working group report in the area of firearms licensing, rather than interested parties only being allowed written submissions as part of this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45109/14]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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296. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will ensure that meaningful consultation will take place in the context of the review of the firearm licensing legislation and that such consultation would be meaningful in the context where it already appears that the removal of Annexe F of the Garda Commissioners Guidelines has been approved as an outcome of a review notwithstanding that would only involve a very small group of target pistol shooters in the country and in further context where the changes to firearms legislation are so wide-ranging that every clay pigeon shooter, rifle shooter and ordinary farmer would be impacted upon; if she will take steps to ensure that a meaningful opportunity will be provided to organisations who represent these licence holders will have their views listened to in a proper consultative way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45384/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 262, 266, 267, 274, 279 and 296 together.

In light of public safety concernshighlighted by An Garda Síochána and difficulties in the interpretation of the legislation expressed by members of the Judiciary, a joint Department of Justice and Equality/An Garda Síochána Working Group was established by my Department to review firearms licensing. The Report of this Working Group was published on 13 November and submissionson the Report have been sought from stakeholders andthe public by 31 January 2015. The consultation process gives individuals and groups an opportunity to contribute to the development of firearms policy and legislation and will enable consideration to be given to the future direction of such legislation.

I have already given a commitment that I will not make any final decisions until I have had the opportunity to consider all the submissions which are made and I subsequently meet the key stakeholders, including the organisations who represent those who use firearms for sporting purposes. I would now urge all concerned to engage with this process so that the views of all concerned can be considered before final decisions are made in relation to this matter.

The Garda Commissioner has made a decision, with Ministerial consent, to issue new Garda Guidelines on the Firearms Acts which exclude the former Annexe F of the guidelines. The interpretation of the previous Annexe F had caused serious difficulties and confusion in regard to applications for firearm certificates for .22 calibre handguns and has resulted in over 30 Judicial Review applications to date. The Commissioner made this decision to issue new Guidelines, without Annexe F, on foot of consultations with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and Counsel for the State regarding Judicial Review applications on the licensing of .22 calibre handguns. There have been no changes to either primary or secondary legislation as a result of amending these guidelines. A more general revision of the Garda Guidelines will be carried out in light of the outcomes of the public consultation on the review of firearms licensing.