no new licence yet what now?

lucky-colm

i like everyone else in the country got a letter back in july saying that because of the new licensing system i was granted an extension to my licence. in my case this was 3 months. i filled out the forms and returned them to the station 2-3weeks ago and have not heard anything yet. the licence expired on the 31st oct what now i have 3 guns do i leave them in the cabinet or do i work away with them?

Sparks

Call your superintendent or local firearms officer and ask them what they want you to do. Legally, they're now unlicenced firearms and you shouldn't have possession of them; pragmatically, the gardai are worried about criminal unlicenced possession, not an artifact of paperwork. You might be told to leave them where they are, or to bring them to a dealer. Either way, best the local lads know what the story is and that you know the name of the local lad who told you what to do. Just in case someone else asks. (And if you can't talk to the Super, make sure to ask the firearms officer to ask the super and get back to you).

Personally, I put all mine into a dealer on Saturday and left them there just to be safe.

Whatever the heck you do, don't go hunting with them. If you're caught out and about with an unlicenced firearm hunting, the consequences could be most unpleasant.

sixpointfive

In the same boat and im working away with them, Im certainly not going to knock shooting on the head while you wait for the father ted licence scheme to process your paperwork, provided your forms dont get "lost" like they used to do so often with the old setup, im sure there are thousands of shooters in the same boat, the big pain in the ass is i have a boar shooting holdiay booked on the 13th of this month and i just know there is no chance now that i will be able to bring my gun and i dont think a cover letter would cut it at frankfurt airport and im not about to even go down that road,

deeksofdoom

lucky-colm wrote: »

i like everyone else in the country got a letter back in july saying that because of the new licensing system i was granted an extension to my licence. in my case this was 3 months. i filled out the forms and returned them to the station 2-3weeks ago and have not heard anything yet. the licence expired on the 31st oct what now i have 3 guns do i leave them in the cabinet or do i work away with them?

You got to make sure that when you had them forms in that you give them to the firearms officer, otherwise they could be sitting in a locker somewhere in the barracks. If i were you I'ld work away for the time being but give the barracks a ring to see if they sent off the forms.

premiercad

People haven't realised (or were't told) that when you recieved the letter that was the warning to re-apply immediatley it is only a 3 month extension to process the application and not to put it on the long finger like so many people have done. I've spoken to the Gardai on this with my local club. Your firearms are technically unliscensed at the moment. They should be given to a dealer until the License is returned.

foxhunter

premiercad wrote: »

People haven't realised (or were't told) that when you recieved the letter that was the warning to re-apply immediatley it is only a 3 month extension to process the application and not to put it on the long finger like so many people have done. I've spoken to the Gardai on this with my local club. Your firearms are technically unliscensed at the moment. They should be given to a dealer until the License is returned.

It's all well and good to say that now but for myself and a lot of others down this way anyway it would have been impossible to apply 3 months before the extension ran out because the powers that be would not accept them.
I have also spoken to the Gardai on the subject and have been told to work away with my guns because it's their fault that they did not provide the service to allow me to apply in time.
So I was out on the pheasant on sunday and will be again this coming weekend.

Sparks

foxhunter wrote: »

It's all well and good to say that now but for myself and a lot of others down this way anyway it would have been impossible to apply 3 months before the extension ran out because the powers that be would not accept them.

As well as delays in printing the forms, in releasing the Guidelines and SIs that governed how the forms had to be filled in and a lot of other teething troubles.

I have also spoken to the Gardai on the subject and have been told to work away with my guns because it's their fault that they did not provide the service to allow me to apply in time.

One word of advice - don't.
If you're caught out and about with an unlicenced firearm, do you really think the garda who said "work away" is going to testify in court to the Judge that he gave you permission to break the law? Especially when it's pointed out to him that he didn't have the authority to give that permission? (And since he didn't have the authority, you'd still be fubar even if he did grant permission).

lucy333springer

lucky-colm wrote: »

i like everyone else in the country got a letter back in july saying that because of the new licensing system i was granted an extension to my licence. in my case this was 3 months. i filled out the forms and returned them to the station 2-3weeks ago and have not heard anything yet. the licence expired on the 31st oct what now i have 3 guns do i leave them in the cabinet or do i work away with them?

Surely your user name can save the day,

All joke on the side,
if your told your firearm's officer, that by law you will have to store your gun's, and the only place that can hold them besides the station and with no licence is a local gun dealers, at a price per week, then surely the local gardai, or councillors, will have to foot the bill :rolleyes:

monarch

lucy333springer wrote: »

Surely your user name can save the day,

All joke on the side,
if your told your firearm's officer, that by law you will have to store your gun's, and the only place that can hold them besides the station and with no licence is a local gun dealers, at a price per week, then surely the local gardai, or councillors, will have to foot the bill :rolleyes:

like a lot on here my licences ran out on the 31st oct,i called my local station yesterday as i have no paperwork back yet,they in turn got on to the district office (super).the answer back that i got is to leave my guns in the safe,do not take them out and dont use them.
i said when would i have my new licences and was told that the super said he had three months to decide from when he gets it and that is all he said.
dont think i fancy missing the season.(had my application in on time)

foxhunter

monarch wrote: »

like a lot on here my licences ran out on the 31st oct,i called my local station yesterday as i have no paperwork back yet,they in turn got on to the district office (super).the answer back that i got is to leave my guns in the safe,do not take them out and dont use them.
i said when would i have my new licences and was told that the super said he had three months to decide from when he gets it and that is all he said.
dont think i fancy missing the season.(had my application in on time)

3 words Firearms Policy Unit.

premiercad

i filled out the forms and returned them to the station 2-3weeks ago

There was noting mentioned in the OP about the Police not accepting the application....

However that aside some of our members are in the exact same boat and were told they were too early back in the day. We were told after we should have insisted that the application be accepted. Anyways the horse has bolted now and it has led to is a sitiuation where all these people are waitng on a new liscence and the season underway. Personally I would be raging if I were in yer shoes and I wonder is there any use in you lads ringing the Firearms unit directly to get the ball rolling faster?

was told that the super said he had three months to decide from when he gets it and that is all he said.

This is a completely unacceptable response from An Garda Siochana!

monarch

i contacted the nargc and was told that they met with the man in charge in the firearms policy section and were told that the guards were to take the common sense approach in that anyone who had there application in on time should be allowed to shoot away.
looks like they forgot to tell the supers!

lucky-colm

thanks guys
really this is the gardas own fault, surely when you previously held the guns for more than 3 years (as was asked in the form) and you hadn't shot anyone it would be a simple case of issueing the licence again as it was allways done. the greens have an awfull lot to answer for and now soon if they get their way we won't be able to go hunting anyhow:mad:

JDBLASER

I was told by my local FO to work away.. He admitted the system was flawed because even though we were told to have the applications in 3 months before hand, which I did.. the system didnt come on line until 15/9 so the applications were sitting in a pile for 2 months. Even if they wanted to process them they couldnt. I asked him was I now in posession of an unlicenced gun and he said no that as long as it was "in progress" which is how their computer described my application, I am ok to continue shooting.

deerhunter1

sixpointfive wrote: »

In the same boat and im working away with them, Im certainly not going to knock shooting on the head while you wait for the father ted licence scheme to process your paperwork, provided your forms dont get "lost" like they used to do so often with the old setup, im sure there are thousands of shooters in the same boat, the big pain in the ass is i have a boar shooting holdiay booked on the 13th of this month and i just know there is no chance now that i will be able to bring my gun and i dont think a cover letter would cut it at frankfurt airport and im not about to even go down that road,

Good on you work away I dont think you will get into trouble, the GS know you have them. If they were not granted they would be on to you by now. It is their fault that you do not have them.

deerhunter1

monarch wrote: »

like a lot on here my licences ran out on the 31st oct,i called my local station yesterday as i have no paperwork back yet,they in turn got on to the district office (super).the answer back that i got is to leave my guns in the safe,do not take them out and dont use them.
i said when would i have my new licences and was told that the super said he had three months to decide from when he gets it and that is all he said.
dont think i fancy missing the season.(had my application in on time)

Shoot away if they were not granted they would be onto you by now. Its not your fault. I would say ther are hundreds like you

4gun

I was told same thing carry your extension letters ( to show the gun was licenced which has your pulse number on it, If the guard want to check it shows him your being processed and waiting for licence, baisically to work away Garda aren't looking for unlicencesd hunting implements, they are looking for drug dealers and criminal weapons

clivej

I was only talking to the FO last night about having guns that are not licensed. I have applied many weeks ago for all my guns (BUT I did get the license I was looking for the new 308)

I was on to the Supers secretary today about it all and she said that "There is some leeway with the licenses" beacuse of the backlog.

SO IMO ONLY as long as you have applied for your license then use away.

As was said before "Sure tis the Irish way your b alrite"

caprilicious

I rang the local Garda HQ to find out about my hubbie's gun's because his extension expired 31st October also.
They rang him back to say work away.

There is a backlog so even though he had his paperwork submitted early in September there's still no sign of them arriving anytime soon.
Thankfully the local FO called him mid October to query something on one of his applications so we do know they're being processed.

Just as well this only has to be done every 3 years! imagine having to go through this every 12 months?:eek:

Sparks

Lads, all this "work away" stuff is going to last about as long as a chocolate frying pan if you bump into a garda who doesn't know what's happened to the licences. Like the lad standing at the tax/insurance checkpoint who spots the rifle slip in the back seat as you're driving home at night or whatever.

And no matter what the Garda behind the desk says about working away or not, if it all goes pear-shaped on you, the Garda behind the desk does not have the legal authority to let you possess an unlicenced firearm on his verbal say-so. At best he can say he won't arrest you - what some other Garda does isn't up to him.

lucy333springer

Hey,
Maybe a big massive protest assembly in the centre of Dublin, O Connell St,
yeah, just like the taxi driver's did.
BRING DUBLIN TO A STAND-STILL.
Make the lousy goverment and garda accountable for answer's, is it work away with your gun's, or into massive containers for safe storage until this goverment get's it's fat finger out of it's own ass

Grizzly 45

Been debated before Lucy,and the consensus is organising a pissup in St James Gate with the shooting bodies cooperating would be beyond their ken.So a demo would be right out of the doability factor.Not to mind it would just give the media scum a field day with headlines like "Shooters March on Dail "or some other shte like that.:( Not to mind we would have to get every manjack of us out there to make it look like we would not be mistaken for a bunch of minority nutters grousing outside the GPO.
However it isnt beyond the possibility that if planned right and executed well with proper publicity.Modern tactics like a "flashmob" around Min Ahernia,or the other anti FG TD[forgot his name] would be more doable,manageable,and unexpected for them.And would proably help let off some steam for folks here who feel nothing but total fustration with this Godawful situation..But again,who wants to step up and help bell this cat???

4gun

Sparks wrote: »

Lads, all this "work away" stuff is going to last about as long as a chocolate frying pan if you bump into a garda who doesn't know what's happened to the licences. Like the lad standing at the tax/insurance checkpoint who spots the rifle slip in the back seat as you're driving home at night or whatever.

And no matter what the Garda behind the desk says about working away or not, if it all goes pear-shaped on you, the Garda behind the desk does not have the legal authority to let you possess an unlicenced firearm on his verbal say-so. At best he can say he won't arrest you - what some other Garda does isn't up to him.

If they were out to get all those "nasty unlicenced firearms" all they have to do is call to your door ... so far I haven't heard of the RRU being deployed in my area.
there is such a thing as being over cautious , I mean you could be waiting months for you licence, the whole season could be over, Is there really a need to be so pedantic about what is essentially a technicality

again its down to the individual what they do with their guns, whatever makes them feel comfortable

kowloon

4gun wrote: »

baisically to work away Garda aren't looking for unlicencesd hunting implements, they are looking for drug dealers and criminal weapons

And they've been made aware of this?

Big Lar

lucky-colm wrote: »

do i leave them in the cabinet or do i work away with them?

Whats the point in havin a shooter if you cant terrorise the local wildlife, Shoot away man !

rrpc

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Been debated before Lucy,and the consensus is organising a pissup in St James Gate with the shooting bodies cooperating would be beyond their ken

Or just that it would be a plain old 'bad idea'. People continually bring up marches as if they actually achieve anything which as far as I know, the only thing they achieve is traffic chaos and the simmering bad will of all commuters.

Never mind the obvious headline puns. :rolleyes:

Sparks

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Been debated before Lucy,and the consensus is organising a pissup in St James Gate with the shooting bodies cooperating would be beyond their ken.

Actually, that's barely a side issue - the real reason is that there is such a thing as bad publicity and a demonstration by firearms owners in the heart of Dublin would be an object lesson in what bad publicity looks like. As ideas go, it's right up there with putting out a grease fire with water.

Sparks

4gun wrote: »

there is such a thing as being over cautious

Indeed. I just don't think we're there when we say "don't go driving round the country shooting with an unlicenced firearm"...

BUACHAILL

Sparks wrote: »

Indeed. I just don't think we're there when we say "don't go driving round the country shooting with an unlicenced firearm"...

I had a crime prevention officer call today to check my safe and security in the house, having watched this thread closely I asked him the questions. His words were this : you are covered to work away as you have submitted your renewal for licence and have not been rejected. There will be no issue arising for you using your firearm for its intended purpose as this is a new system and common sense must prevail, there is a backlog and you will not be penalised for this.

On this basis I am assuming that this issue has been debated quite a lot amongst the gardai and they have decided to allow relief for those who have done everything within their control to renew the licences and for those who have extension letters you are not in danger of being arrested for using your firearm ( obviously within the normal context of use).

I am in Wicklow so maybe other stations are different but surely that in itself is a double standard...although wouldnt suprise me ;-)

Just thought I would share this with you !!

Sparks

Cheers Buachaill. Nice to see there's a flip side to having the Gardai monitor the forum

BUACHAILL

Sparks wrote: »

Cheers Buachaill. Nice to see there's a flip side to having the Gardai monitor the forum

Ha Ha Sparks you couldnt be further from the truth !!

deerhunter1

BUACHAILL wrote: »

I had a crime prevention officer call today to check my safe and security in the house, having watched this thread closely I asked him the questions. His words were this : you are covered to work away as you have submitted your renewal for licence and have not been rejected. There will be no issue arising for you using your firearm for its intended purpose as this is a new system and common sense must prevail, there is a backlog and you will not be penalised for this.

On this basis I am assuming that this issue has been debated quite a lot amongst the gardai and they have decided to allow relief for those who have done everything within their control to renew the licences and for those who have extension letters you are not in danger of being arrested for using your firearm ( obviously within the normal context of use).

I am in Wicklow so maybe other stations are different but surely that in itself is a double standard...although wouldnt suprise me ;-)

Just thought I would share this with you !!

Thanks for that,a bit of common sense,shoot away the season will be soon over and those who will not shoot will say "What the hell were we waiting for", we are not criminals, we have applied for or renewals we have not been contacted saying you have been refused, get out there and shoot away and enjoy it