07 Apr 2023
Write to your local TD using our letter template
On June 24th, 2022, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne TD, formed the five-person Firearms Expert Committee (FEC) to carry out a comprehensive and potentially far-reaching review of firearms licensing in Ireland.
The make-up of the FEC has changed on several occasions since it was formed and different individuals, not appointed to the original FEC, have attended its meetings from time to time. However, none of the firearm user groups or representative organisations of the almost quarter of a million licensed firearm holders in Ireland have to date been consulted, directly or indirectly, on the matters under consideration by the FEC. Nor has the Minister responded in any meaningful way to representations made or followed through on his early promises to consult with stakeholders.
The stance taken by the Minister and FEC has resulted in Ireland’s leading shooting and countryside organisations coming together to address widespread concern on the direction of the Minister and the FEC and its lack of consultation with firearms users and their representatives. Working together as an umbrella organisation, the Firearms Users Representative Group (FURG) will engage in high level campaigning to achieve comprehensive and genuine engagement with firearm users during the review with the ultimate aim of achieving a fairer, more efficient and consistent firearms licencing process.
The ICTSA is supporting the FURG, and we are asking our members to write to their local TD's to ensure our perspective is heard.
To this end we are asking our members to download a letter template, complete it and send it to your local TD.
The letter template can be found on our resources page here.
