Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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553. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 198 of 6 February 2025, to provide additional clarity as to when precisely his Department was alerted to the potential dangers arising in respect of defective leather pistol holsters previously on issue to members of An Garda Síochána; and if his Department was made aware more than two years earlier than the November 2022 dateline contained in his response. [6042/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Garda Commissioner is responsible, under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes procurement and deployment of equipment.

As advised in correspondence issued to the Deputy on 13 February 2025, the holsters referred to in Parliamentary Question No. 198 of 6 February 2025 were first referenced in correspondence to the Department in August 2020.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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554. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he can state with complete and absolute certainty that all leather pistol holsters (details supplied) have been surrendered by those previously issued with them in An Garda Síochána and that no such defective holsters are retained by individual Garda members currently. [6043/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Garda Commissioner is responsible, under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes procurement and deployment of equipment.

The Garda authorities informed my Department, in correspondence dated March 2023, that the type of holster referred to was no longer in circulation within An Garda Síochána.

Garda authorities have further informed me that a new firearms accessories tender began in August 2019 and following the evaluation of samples, a contract was awarded in September 2020 which resulted in the introduction of the current King Cobra EVO5 Hip Holsters for both the Walther and Sig Sauer Pistols.

I understand that a phased roll-out programme commenced and the change from leather hip holsters to polymer hip holsters occurred over a period of approximately 18 months. The Assistant Commissioner responsible for the Garda National Crime and Security Intelligence Service (GNCSIS), which has governance over firearms within An Garda Síochána, has received confirmation from all Divisions that all leather hip holster have now been replaced with polymer hip holsters. Polymer Holsters were given to Firearms Training Instructors to facilitate the roll-out and changeover at the various ranges nationwide.

I am further informed that once a Garda was trained in the use of the new polymer holsters, they surrendered their old leather holsters and were issued with the new holster. There was a requirement to sign an issue sheet at the ranges for receipt of the replacement holster.

Finally, I am informed that when all retired leather holsters were returned to Firearms Stores by Firearms Training Instructors, arrangements were then made for all obsolete leather holsters to be shredded.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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555. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he or his Department were aware of the servicing and repair of privately owned firearms being undertaken by Garda armourer personnel attached to the Garda firearms stores section in 2018, where such firearms were belonging to a hunt and pony club based in the Kildare area and where the cost of such servicing and repair was defrayed by public funds. [6044/25]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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556. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department approved the purchase and importation of firearm component parts into the State as contained in Importation licence J 11 2018. [6045/25]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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557. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he was informed by the Garda Commissioner, in line with the commissioners statutory obligations under section 41 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 that the firearm component parts contained in Importation licence J 11 2018 related to the service and repair of privately owned firearms belonging to a hunt and pony club rather than official Garda firearms. [6046/25]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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583. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his office was made aware of hundreds of non-official, non-Garda firearms being discarded by An Garda Síochána’s firearms stores section in a poorly secured steel container within the confines of Garda Headquarters prior to the Garda firearms stores section being transferred under the management of the Garda National Technical Bureau in September 2019. [6350/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 555, 556, 557 and 583 together.

The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). This includes all operational matters, such as the handling, service and repair of firearms. As Minister I have no role in these matters.

The Department of Justice was made aware of matters related to those raised by the Deputy through correspondence received in August 2020. As that correspondence is subject to an investigation, I am not in a position to comment in detail but will set out the facts available.

The Firearms Unit in the Department of Justice processes applications for all importation licences of firearms and ammunition and export licences to EU Member States. Individuals apply for an import license under Section 17(1) of the Firearms Act 1925-2023 and An Garda Síochána apply under Section 17(8). The import licence referred to by the Deputy was processed and issued by the Department in July 2018. I have not received a section 41 in relation to these matters.