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Copyright 2003 Century Newspapers Limited
Belfast News Letter
January 18, 2003, Saturday
SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 19
LENGTH: 919 words
HEADLINE: ROD & GUN: FAIRER LAWS ON FIREARMS SOUGHT
BYLINE: D.C KINNEY
BODY:
THE Countryside Alliance stepped up its campaign for fairer firearms laws in Northern Ireland when it met with NIO Security Minister Jane Kennedy.
The meeting was held at the Countryside Alliance's request to discuss a number of potentially controversial proposals contained within new draft firearms legislation, the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2002.
Accompanying the Countryside Alliance to the meeting were the UUP's Jim Wilson MLA, formerly a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly ad hoc committee set up to consider the draft legislation and John Dallat, co- ordinator of the SDLP's Direct-Rule Watch initiative.
The Countryside Alliance has mounted a very active campaign aimed at allowing young people to take up shooting sports at a much younger age, under appropriate supervision. It recommended that no arbitrarily determined minimum age limit should be put in the way of a young person who wished to use a firearm - in a safe and responsible manner. CA believes that it is not necessary to impose a minimum age limit on young people, provided that an adult certificate holder properly supervises them. In the CA's opinion the person's age is not important, as the responsibility devolves to the certificate holder and the young person would be under his immediate and direct supervision.
CA reminded the Minister that in its response to the Home Affairs Committee inquiry into firearms controls in Great Britain, the Government rejected the imposition of a minimum age for shooting on the grounds that it would not improve public safety. In its response the Government also said that it wished to "encourage the responsible attitude of responsible parents and shooting organisations in teaching young people a safe and responsible attitude towards firearms handling."
That young people are educated in the safe and responsible use of sporting firearms is no less important in Northern Ireland than in Britain.
The other main issue discussed in detail with the Minister and her officials was the Northern Ireland Office proposal that all first-time applicants for a firearm certificate must undergo instruction in the safe handling and use of a firearm before being granted a firearms certificate. This proposal would also have applied to existing certificate holders who wished to acquire a different type of firearm.
Following a great deal of debate with the Countryside Alliance and a number of other shooting organisations, the Northern Ireland Office scrapped plans for mandatory firearms safety tests, which it had previously proposed during an earlier consultation on firearms legislation reforms in 1998.
NIO's plans to introduce compulsory firearms testing were subsequently dropped largely because they were considered to be disproportionate in public safety terms, given the considerable resource implications and the very low instance of accidental injury caused by legally held firearms in Northern Ireland.
It is also widely acknowledged that a great deal of voluntary training currently takes place within the shooting community and this is a more effective and efficient means of continuing to deliver high standards of competence.
The Countryside Alliance reiterated its opposition to compulsory training on the grounds that it would lead to increased bureaucracy in the licensing process, which could be detrimental to the sport, without any tangible public safety benefits.
Ronan Gorman Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "Northern Ireland's firearms laws are among the toughest in the world and widely regarded as unfair and unnecessarily restrictive. The Countryside Alliance is determined to ensure that the new draft firearms legislation represents a positive move forward for the responsible shooting community in Northern Ireland. The current age at which a young person may participate in sporting shooting must be lowered significantly and any statutory requirement to undertake training, the benefit of which is not "The Minister acknowledged that we have made a compelling case in support of our arguments and we will hold further discussions with the Minister and her officials on these issues, in the near future."
Jim Wilson said: "The Countryside Alliance is rapidly becoming a highly effective rural lobbying organisation. I have consistently supported its campaign for fairer firearms laws for Northern Ireland and I was delighted to be able to accompany them during their recent meeting with the Security Minister. Shooting sports are a safe and responsible form of recreation for over 80,000 people in Northern Ireland from all sections of the community.
"Shooting sports generates an estimated pounds 50 million each year for Northern Ireland's economy and are widely acknowledged as being an important component in the sustainable management of our unique countryside. It is unfortunate that the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended before the ad hoc committee set up to scrutinise the new draft firearms legislation had time to complete its task. As a member of this committee I was looking forward to addressing the issues that the Countryside Alliance has raised with the Minister."
John Dallat said: "The safety record of Northern Ireland's shooting community has been commendable and I see no justification for placing unnecessary restrictions on any activity that would result in considerable cost to the taxpayer and where there is no demonstrable benefit to wider society."
Belfast News Letter
January 18, 2003, Saturday
SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 19
LENGTH: 919 words
HEADLINE: ROD & GUN: FAIRER LAWS ON FIREARMS SOUGHT
BYLINE: D.C KINNEY
BODY:
THE Countryside Alliance stepped up its campaign for fairer firearms laws in Northern Ireland when it met with NIO Security Minister Jane Kennedy.
The meeting was held at the Countryside Alliance's request to discuss a number of potentially controversial proposals contained within new draft firearms legislation, the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2002.
Accompanying the Countryside Alliance to the meeting were the UUP's Jim Wilson MLA, formerly a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly ad hoc committee set up to consider the draft legislation and John Dallat, co- ordinator of the SDLP's Direct-Rule Watch initiative.
The Countryside Alliance has mounted a very active campaign aimed at allowing young people to take up shooting sports at a much younger age, under appropriate supervision. It recommended that no arbitrarily determined minimum age limit should be put in the way of a young person who wished to use a firearm - in a safe and responsible manner. CA believes that it is not necessary to impose a minimum age limit on young people, provided that an adult certificate holder properly supervises them. In the CA's opinion the person's age is not important, as the responsibility devolves to the certificate holder and the young person would be under his immediate and direct supervision.
CA reminded the Minister that in its response to the Home Affairs Committee inquiry into firearms controls in Great Britain, the Government rejected the imposition of a minimum age for shooting on the grounds that it would not improve public safety. In its response the Government also said that it wished to "encourage the responsible attitude of responsible parents and shooting organisations in teaching young people a safe and responsible attitude towards firearms handling."
That young people are educated in the safe and responsible use of sporting firearms is no less important in Northern Ireland than in Britain.
The other main issue discussed in detail with the Minister and her officials was the Northern Ireland Office proposal that all first-time applicants for a firearm certificate must undergo instruction in the safe handling and use of a firearm before being granted a firearms certificate. This proposal would also have applied to existing certificate holders who wished to acquire a different type of firearm.
Following a great deal of debate with the Countryside Alliance and a number of other shooting organisations, the Northern Ireland Office scrapped plans for mandatory firearms safety tests, which it had previously proposed during an earlier consultation on firearms legislation reforms in 1998.
NIO's plans to introduce compulsory firearms testing were subsequently dropped largely because they were considered to be disproportionate in public safety terms, given the considerable resource implications and the very low instance of accidental injury caused by legally held firearms in Northern Ireland.
It is also widely acknowledged that a great deal of voluntary training currently takes place within the shooting community and this is a more effective and efficient means of continuing to deliver high standards of competence.
The Countryside Alliance reiterated its opposition to compulsory training on the grounds that it would lead to increased bureaucracy in the licensing process, which could be detrimental to the sport, without any tangible public safety benefits.
Ronan Gorman Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "Northern Ireland's firearms laws are among the toughest in the world and widely regarded as unfair and unnecessarily restrictive. The Countryside Alliance is determined to ensure that the new draft firearms legislation represents a positive move forward for the responsible shooting community in Northern Ireland. The current age at which a young person may participate in sporting shooting must be lowered significantly and any statutory requirement to undertake training, the benefit of which is not "The Minister acknowledged that we have made a compelling case in support of our arguments and we will hold further discussions with the Minister and her officials on these issues, in the near future."
Jim Wilson said: "The Countryside Alliance is rapidly becoming a highly effective rural lobbying organisation. I have consistently supported its campaign for fairer firearms laws for Northern Ireland and I was delighted to be able to accompany them during their recent meeting with the Security Minister. Shooting sports are a safe and responsible form of recreation for over 80,000 people in Northern Ireland from all sections of the community.
"Shooting sports generates an estimated pounds 50 million each year for Northern Ireland's economy and are widely acknowledged as being an important component in the sustainable management of our unique countryside. It is unfortunate that the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended before the ad hoc committee set up to scrutinise the new draft firearms legislation had time to complete its task. As a member of this committee I was looking forward to addressing the issues that the Countryside Alliance has raised with the Minister."
John Dallat said: "The safety record of Northern Ireland's shooting community has been commendable and I see no justification for placing unnecessary restrictions on any activity that would result in considerable cost to the taxpayer and where there is no demonstrable benefit to wider society."
