Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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461. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the legislation covering night sights on rifles and guns given that these are being sold in various supermarket outlets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46475/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that S.1(g)(i) of the Firearms Act as amended, defines the following component parts of a firearm as actual ‘firearms’ under the Act: ‘telescope sights with a light beam, or telescope sights with an electronic amplification device or an infra-red device, designed to be fitted to a firearm....’.

Applicants for firearm certificates may apply at the time of their application for or during the lifetime of their firearm certificate, to have such component parts attached to the grant of their certificates and may be granted such application if, in the opinion of the issuing Superintendent, the applicant has ‘good reason’ to possess, use and carry these sights.

S.10(1) of the Firearms Act 1925 provides: ‘It shall not be lawful for any person to manufacture, sell, repair, test, or prove, or expose for sale, or have in his possession for sale, repair, test, or proof, by way of trade or business, any firearm or ammunition unless such person is registered in the register of firearms dealers’. If such ‘firearms’ are sold in any place without the seller being currently included in the register of firearms dealers, then that person is guilty of an offence under the Act. If the Deputy has information to that effect it should be brought to the attention of An Garda Síochána.