Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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549. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of firearms offences [seizures, discharging, possession or theft from a legal holder] over the past ten years, broken down by district and offence, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24474/23]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by An Garda Síochána that the only incidents requested by the Deputy recorded on PULSE are discharging a firearm and possession of a firearm. I am further advised that it is not possible to provide the Deputy with a breakdown of offences at a District level as there is not a sufficient volume of incidents recorded in order to report at this level.

The Deputy may find it useful to review the data on firearms offences available at a Divisional level from Q1 2003 to Q4 2022 on the CSO website at the following link data.cso.ie/table/CJQ06.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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550. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of firearms-related deaths over the past ten years, broken down by district, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24475/23]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I have asked An Garda Sìochàna if it is possible to provide the information sought by the Deputy. Unfortunately it was not possible to confirm this within the timeframe allowed.

I will revert to the Deputy with any relevant information upon receipt.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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551. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he is aware of any incidents relating to the 3D printing of illegal firearms within the State; and his plans to counter these [24477/23]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by An Garda Síochána that they are aware of the potential misuse of 3D printing technology to create 3D printed firearms and/or firearms components, and I can assure the Deputy that Gardaí take appropriate investigative steps upon receipt of intelligence relating to this activity.

It should be noted that 3D printed firearms are already considered firearms under the Firearms Act 1925 and therefore it is an offence for a person to possess, carry or use a 3D printed firearm without a licence. The issue of such firearms is also being considered in the context of the ongoing commitment to carry on the process of firearms reform.

While incidents pertaining to 3D printed firearms or the obtaining of materials relevant to them are not common, they are not unknown in this jurisdiction.

I am further advised by An Garda Síochána that a conviction has been secured of a person for serious firearms-related offences in this context. The person concerned was involved in the importation of firearms contrary to section 17 of the Firearms Act 1925, as amended, and the suspect was found to be in possession of imported component parts for firearms and a 3D printer, among other items. The material seized was examined by members of the Garda National Technical Bureau Ballistics Section.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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552. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for an update on the work of the firearms expert committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24478/23]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I established the Firearms Expert Committee (FEC) on a non-statutory basis with representation from stakeholders, my Department and An Garda Síochána.

The purpose of the FEC was to serve in an advisory capacity to me as Minister, providing guidance on a wide range of matters related to firearms licensing in the State. In line with its comprehensive terms of reference, which were made publicly available, the FEC was tasked with making recommendations on a range of firearms matters for my subsequent consideration, including carrying out an assessment of all types of firearms to determine their current use under the existing licensing system and their suitability for future licensing.

The final meeting of the FEC took place on 3 March 2023 and I published the final report on Friday, 31 March 2023 on Gov.ie.

As I stated throughout this process, any proposed changes to policy or legislation arising from any of the recommendations of the FEC will be subject to prior consultation with firearms stakeholders.

On the, 3 May 2023, I launched the FEC consultation online on Gov.ie.

The online consultation can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/consultation/411f7-consultation-on-the-recommendations-of-the-reports-of-the-firearms-expert-committee/ . I would encourage as many people and organisations as possible to engage with this survey in order to make their views known.

In addition to this, I have sought written submissions on the recommendations of the FEC from a range of stakeholder organisations and intend to meet with such groups, having received their written submissions and following the conclusion of the wider public consultation, which runs until 2 June. This will ensure that stakeholder organisations can engage fully in this consultation.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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553. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the numbers of live firearms licences are tracked by individual holders; the number of people who hold multiple firearms licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24479/23]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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555. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for an update on the number of currently active firearms licences, broken down by district, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24481/23]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 553 and 555 together.

I have asked An Garda Sìochàna if it is possible to provide the information sought by the Deputy. Unfortunately it was not possible to confirm this within the timeframe allowed.I will revert to the Deputy with any relevant information upon receipt.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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554. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for an update on the work of the firearms range inspector; the number of inspections that they have carried out in the last ten years and where those took place, broken down by district, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24480/23]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the Firearms Range Inspector (FRI) is a statutory appointment made by my Department in accordance with Section 4B of the Firearms Act 1925-2009.

Under this legislation, my Department appointed one FRI.

The FRI is tasked with examining applications for the certification of rifle and pistol target shooting ranges and thereafter the inspection of such facilities for ongoing compliance with the construction standards for the range as set out in Statutory Instrument 622 of 2011, Firearms (Authorisation of Rifle or Pistol Shooting Ranges) Regulations 2011.

The authorisation of use of a target shooting range is the function of An Garda Síochána and the Garda Superintendent of the district in which the range is located.

The number of inspections that the FRI has carried out over the last ten years are laid out in Table below by location. This data is gathered and recorded by County only so it is not possible to provide this information by Garda District. The number of inspections from 2020 to 2022 reflect the restrictions in place due to the pandemic.

Number of inspections carried by the Firearms Range Inspector

*Data up to 19/05/2023