Senior garda used official channel to import gun parts for private club

The senior garda involved does not have any official standing within the gun club. File picture

A senior garda arranged for the importation of firearm parts in an official capacity — but, in fact, he did so on behalf of a private club, the Irish Examiner has learned.

The operation to import the parts involved obtaining authorisation from the justice minister of the day on the basis that it was for garda business. 

The cost of the parts and their insertion into firearms was borne by An Garda Síochána. 

After the firearms were fully repaired, they were brought back to the gun club, located in the east of the country.

The senior garda involved does not have any official standing within the gun club. 

According to an internal garda report, he claimed he was conducting official business by sourcing the firearm parts for training purposes. However, the report determined no weapon of the make and design of the ones at issue are used by An Garda Síochána.

Protected disclosure

The affair occurred in 2018 and only came to light after a junior garda revealed it as part of a protected disclosure. It was then investigated by a chief superintendent and the main thrust of what the junior garda alleged was found to be factually based.

Importation of such parts is strictly controlled and individual authorisation is always required. The justice minister of the day and officials in the department would take any such request from An Garda Síochána on trust, as they would be highly unlikely to be familiar with the details of the firearm parts being requested.

The senior officer became aware the gun club had a problem with a number of firearms. Initial attempts to have them repaired with a firearm dealer were unsuccessful, and the dealer informed the club that the parts were not available in the country.

The internal investigation heard in evidence that the senior garda arrived at Garda HQ from the private gun club with the firearms in the boot of his private car. 

The investigation found such transport of guns could be permitted under the 1925 Firearms Act if it was for training, as the officer alleged.

The investigation also found a notable conflict in the evidence given by the civilians from the gun club and the firearms dealer on one side, and at least two of the gardaí interviewed.

There was no recommendation for disciplinary action or to investigate a possible criminal offence in the internal report.

Minister learned of issue three months after report

The report was completed and circulated within An Garda Síochána in November 2024. 

In February this year, in response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Alan Kelly, the minister for justice said he had not been informed about this case under legislation that obliges the commissioner to make contact with the minister on a matter of serious importance.

Mr Kelly told the Irish Examiner he is astounded that this matter has not been fully investigated.

“How was this allowed to happen and how has no one been held to account for potential criminal matters?” he said. 

“This is an extremely serious matter that the current minister for justice needs to deal with immediately.”

The garda press office was contacted for comment.