Contact re Liceance delays

kerryman12

Hi guys

I remember reading a thread here before in relation to a hold up on the issue of a firrearm liceance. A contact person was mentioned in the office in GHQ who could verify if they have recieved the apllication form etc.

I cant seem to access any of the old threads beyone pg 4 to look for it myself.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Scalachi

The number for the Phoenix Park Firearms licensing section is 01 6662445, normally you get to speak to Mary who is very helpful, she will need either your pulse ID or the serial no form the gun in question to check.

kerryman12

Thats the one, perfect thanks.

Mr Mole

A note of caution, its not very adviseable to be phoning that Section directly. The point of contact for applicants should be the FO or Superintendent locally as applicable. That number is generally for Garda members to deal with firearms applications and is not for public use. Even though you might get to speak to an amenable person there, its not the done thing.

It wasn't me!

Mr Mole wrote: »

A note of caution, its not very adviseable to be phoning that Section directly. The point of contact for applicants should be the FO or Superintendent locally as applicable. That number is generally for Garda members to deal with firearms applications and is not for public use. Even though you might get to speak to an amenable person there, its not the done thing.

First thing I was told when enquiring about licence delays with my Super was to call the Phoenix Park.

Mr Mole

Calling Firearms Section re any query should be the remit of the FO or Superintendent, not the applicant. There is no middleman in the process. Trying to find out the status of an application this way will not improve the time it takes to grant or refuse. Thats my experience of the system.:)

Sparks

Of course, while it's not the done thing for everyone to call the Park, it's also the done thing for the FO or Superintendent to not ignore the applicant, belittle the applicant, lose the application forms (and forget to tell the applicant), tell the applicant that the problem is the delay in the Park, or just out-and-out misinterpret/rewrite the Firearms Act.

99.5% or more of the time, all goes well and noone calls anyone bar the Super/FO. For the 0.5% or less of the time that something does go sideways, then I'd personally say that any approach that doesn't involve going to a court and gives a solution that everyone can live with is superior to calling your solicitor. And if that means calling the Park, well, so be it.

bunny shooter

Sparks wrote: »

Of course, while it's not the done thing for everyone to call the Park, it's also the done thing for the FO or Superintendent to not ignore the applicant, belittle the applicant, lose the application forms (and forget to tell the applicant), tell the applicant that the problem is the delay in the Park, or just out-and-out misinterpret/rewrite the Firearms Act.

99.5% or more of the time, all goes well and noone calls anyone bar the Super/FO. For the 0.5% or less of the time that something does go sideways, then I'd personally say that any approach that doesn't involve going to a court and gives a solution that everyone can live with is superior to calling your solicitor. And if that means calling the Park, well, so be it.

here, here

bunny shooter

Mr Mole wrote: »

A note of caution, its not very adviseable to be phoning that Section directly. The point of contact for applicants should be the FO or Superintendent locally as applicable. That number is generally for Garda members to deal with firearms applications and is not for public use. Even though you might get to speak to an amenable person there, its not the done thing.

cough, cough,

Mr Mole

Advising anyone to do the wrong thing or adopt a wrong procedure is never the right thing to do at ANY time. My advice stands.

Grizzly 45

Mr Mole wrote: »

Advising anyone to do the wrong thing or adopt a wrong procedure is never the right thing to do at ANY time. My advice stands.

Why exactly is it wrong???You are entitled to know what status a ligit procedure/quiery is at in this consttutional republic of ours.It does concern you,the Gardai and DOJ are there to help and serve us,as we do pay for their daily bread thru our taxes.If we had to put up with this kind of reticience with planning permissions,the Celtic Tiger would never have happened.So do please enlighten us why is it wrong to enquire off the Park ??

Sparks

Mr Mole wrote: »

Advising anyone to do the wrong thing or adopt a wrong procedure is never the right thing to do at ANY time. My advice stands.

Indeed, and for 99.5% or more of cases it is excellent advice. I'm merely pointing out that it being "not the done thing" doesn't matter very much in those remaining 0.5% of cases. For them to call the Park doesn't adversely affect them because they are already experiencing problems with their Superintendent - and indeed, if their Superintendent was following both the Firearms Act and the Gardai customer service charter as they are supposed to, noone would ever call the Park because there'd be no need.

The problem, in other words, is not calling the Park - it's that some people have to do so at all.

Hairy Hunter

Well Mr Mole,

I can only comment from my perspective, as a law abiding citizen, with no criminal record etc, who got dicked around for months on each licience.

First instance, applied for air rifle, got safe, visit from FO,waited patiently for 8 MONTHS. That was eight months of trying to catch the FO, eventually got the cert, guess what, wrong serial number, que another 2 month wait.

Second instance, applied for shotgun cert, new FO, much more helpful and enthusastic. Filled out application, told it would be no problem as I was already on computer, had safe been inspected etc. One month later was informed by FO that application was passed by super and was sent to park for issue. Waited , Waited , Waited,

Nada,

Renewals time, contacted FO, who said it would be issued with the existing cert when I renewed.

Went to local station, as isntructed by letter, no cert, went to area station, 'They havent been sorted, come back next week' Came back following week got air rifle cert, no shotgun. Enquired about shotgun, they checked on computer, had been passed. Asked where is it? Dont know. Waited another week to catch a gaurd in the local station, checked no cert.

In the end, got the bold number and called the Park. Cert had been issued weeks ago. Went to main station, Still no cert, went to minor station, no cert.

Called the park again, who called the station, Collected the cert 15mins later.

I know that legal firearms are low on the priority list for garda, but thats some messing around.

One thing I agree with MR Mole is that shooter shouldent be ringing the park- they should not have to

Vegeta

Mr Mole wrote: »

Advising anyone to do the wrong thing or adopt a wrong procedure is never the right thing to do at ANY time. My advice stands.

While I respect your opinion and appreciate your input, could you explain your stance as I am having trouble understanding it.

Why is it a wrong procedure? For something to be wrong, someone has to disapprove and consider it wrong. So who disapproves considers it wrong?

Are the people working up there complaining?
Are the Supers complaining?
Are the Gardai at the desk getting stick?

My mind is genuinely open here, if you can give me a legit reason why its a bad idea or may harm my cause then I am all ears.

On a side note I have never had to ring there myself but I know 2 people who have (brother was one) and said it worked wonders for them. License was sorted asap after that.

TONY T

The local Guards dont really want all the paper work. I have been told that your home must be checked twice a year to clarify the sepration of amunition and firearm. Is this true.

Sparks

TONY T wrote: »

The local Guards dont really want all the paper work. I have been told that your home must be checked twice a year to clarify the sepration of amunition and firearm. Is this true.

Not unless the Superintendent set it as a precondition of your licence. It's certainly not true in the general case, it's not in the Act and it's not in the NCPU's guidelines.

Grizzly 45

Not only that it would be a complete waste of manpower .

Mr Mole

I cant offer any further advice than that which was offered. You just have to take it, or leave it! Your choice.

Scalachi

Guys, have to say, I have phoned the park due to issues or delays with various Licenses, local gardai, and superintendent's office in one cases reccomended it!, Spoke to Firearms (very helpful) they were able to tell me in one case that the application was never recieved, as the CPO had not submitted it after his visit, and in the other case, they told me when it was issued, and to which station.
I also had an issue recently where a new license was issued for a new firearm and due to the date, it was not part of the renewal print job, so in August there was no new renewal for it , again Firearms told me exactly what to tell the local gardai to do, and it was sorted very quickly.

bunny shooter

Mr Mole wrote: »

I cant offer any further advice than that which was offered. You just have to take it, or leave it! Your choice.

cough, cough, goodbye, cough, cough

Rovi

If I read Mr. Mole's post correctly, he's just saying that the number for 'Mary in the Park' isn't, and was never intended to be, for the use of the general public.
While it's unfortunate that some people end up having to call it, and it's great that there's someone there who's willing to help out, it's still not an 'official' way for a member of the general public to resolve a firearm licensing issue.
It's become an 'Irish' solution to an 'Irish' problem, but there's no guarantee that it will continue to be so; policies, personnel, and telephone numbers change, and it could be gone in the morning and there'd be no use in us complaining as we were never supposed to have it in the first place.

In my opinion, it's a resource that should be used sparingly and with some common sense; abusing it and making noise about it will only see it's demise come all the sooner.

Sparks

Mole gave advice that is correct in 99.5% of cases. You may disagree with it bunny, and you can certainly say so - but the freedom you enjoy to say he's wrong is extended to him to say stuff in the first place. Don't go telling him to get off this forum just because you disagree with him.

thehair

Scalachi wrote: »

The number for the Phoenix Park Firearms licensing section is 01 6662445, normally you get to speak to Mary who is very helpful, she will need either your pulse ID or the serial no form the gun in question to check.

i must ring mary to tell her how famous she is on her i wonder what
she or her boss would say :rolleyes:make you think steve

Sparks

My guess is that they'd wonder why someone was ringing them up without a good reason and trying to cause trouble, but that's just me.

Grizzly 45

Personally,I think Mary in the Park should be thanked by the Irish shooting community in some way for actually fulfilling the role of a public servant to the tax payer to the letter of her job description!

She has been the only person that many shooters with difficult applications who have been stonewalled or otherwise fobbed off have been able to get some clarity as to where their application is at.Either it passed thru her dept or it didnt! Simple as that!

It is unfortunate that we do have to on occasion ring her to find out information that we should be reciving thru the normal channel of our FAO.But when you hear some horror stories of applications....I,for one am extremly grateful that there is somone who we can turn to,up the chain who will give you a clue as to what is going on in what should be a simple lawful process,but is somtimes treated like a Machivellian intrigue by the Gardai.