Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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512. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when section 36 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 will come into effect [41437/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 substituted a new section for section 17 of the Firearms Act 1925. As the Deputy is aware this section has not been commenced.

The net effect of Section 36 would be that firearms could only be imported into the State by a registered firearms dealer.

The section was intended to address distance selling of firearms as required under the Firearms Directive 2008/51/EC. However, the Directive has since been transposed by S.I. 493 of 2010 without the need to commence Section 36.

In addition, it is also thought that Section 36 could have created difficulties for Irish shooters returning from trips abroad with their firearms as the firearms concerned may have been considered imports requiring importation licences.

Accordingly, I will consider whether or not this provision should be repealed.