John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to establish a new firearms assessment and appeals authority; to appoint members of the National Sports Coalition to this authority; the number of members that will make up the authority; and the range of skill sets and experience she will require to be represented on the authority. [38564/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I recently announced fundamental long term reforms of firearms licensing including the establishment of a new Firearms Assessment and Appeals Authority. The primary function of the Authority will be to determine, on the basis of an objective assessment of all the issues, with safety of the public being paramount, whether particular forms of firearms may be licensed in the State, whether there should be any limit on the number of such firearms and what safety conditions might properly be applied to their licensing. The functions of the Authority will be subject to further consultation with key stakeholders in advance of the preparation of the necessary enabling legislation, which will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence. I have also sought submissions on the proposed Authority from the Firearms Consultative Panel, which is made up of key stakeholders, including the Sports Coalition. Accordingly, it is premature at this stage to decide on the make up of the Authority before the consultation process.