Firearm law changes could affect farmers’ shotgun use

PROPOSED changes to firearms legislation could impede farmers’ use of legally held shotguns to scare off marauding dogs threatening their sheep flocks.

Farmers could be restricted by the proposed legislation, under which guns must be held in secure custody at all times.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell, who is set to tackle gun crime in the Criminal Justice Bill, is proposing that applicants for firearms certificates will have to satisfy a garda superintendent that they have provided secure accommodation for the firearm.

There has been a marked increase in the number of guns stolen in recent years. There are 210,000 legally held firearms in the country. A recent increase in violent crime involving firearms and in the theft of guns prompted Mr McDowell to seek to amend the law to make the holding of legally held weapons more secure.

Statistics show that only one gun was stolen in 1986, but 558 were taken in 2002. The figure dropped to 295 last year.

Mr McDowell stressed that providing for the secure custody of firearms in legislation should not be construed as equating legitimate sports people with criminals.

On tonight’s Ear to the Ground programme, he says he is not against firearms as such and is in favour of access to sports weapons but he wants to maximise public safety.

At the moment, gardai have no right to ask how guns are kept.

“I don’t want to waste garda time. I don’t want them to engage in some sort of nanny state operation where guns have to be kept in some sort of Fort Knox-style fortress but I do think we could better,” he said.

Des Crofton, president of the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) told the programme while everybody recognised the legislation was in need of overhauling, he didn’t think the current proposals were useful as a measure to stop criminals.

He said gun club members are annoyed at the lack of consultation and feel legal gun owners should not be regulated in the same way as criminals.