Pretty much with just one caveat. Make sure you can provide the proof necessary. For example ticking target shooting when applying for a rifle, unlike a shotgun, requires proof of membership to an authorised range. Don't tick target shooting, for a rifle, unless you're a member of a range.

Required, no. Best option, probably. It was one of the two functions of the FCA2 to amend or cancel a license. You could go into your Garda station, ask the FO to change it on PULSE, and they may do it for you. You could write a letter, or make a phone call asking the same and it may be done. I only mention the FCA2 as its a recorded document that I imagine would be filed with the rest of your paperwork.

Section 4(2) of the Principal act outlines the conditions for the grant of a firearms license. In short the issuing person will only grant the license if they are satisified that you intend to use it for the purpose you applied for it. It also specifically names target shooting and being a member of a range, having the requisite hunting licenses, etc. It also covers any conditions physically listed on your grant form (as nothing is marked on the actual license). So if you tick hunting, then later go out and start target shooting, but did not tick target shooting, then it could be argued that you were only granted the license for hunting and the target shooting is outside the conditions of the granting of your license.

While most licenses are issued without any conditions on the grant letter this does NOT mean that you are free to do what you please with the firearm. It simply means the issuing person has granted the license for the purpose you applied for it with no additional or exceptional conditions attached. Now that is my take on all this and its somewhat supported by section 4, and the boxes to be ticked on the FCA1 to declare you intent with the firearm, however I'm open to a different interpretation or rebuttal if anyone has other legislation which contradicts this.

If I'm reading this right you are asking about an identifying mark/marker on the license which denotes the conditions or limitations of a license based on what was applied for? If so then no. The only other marking on a license to denote something is added is an "S" for the authorisation for a suppressor. Not even NV is printed on the licenses from what I've been told by those with such authorisation. So a license is effectively only good to identify the person, their address, the serial number, caliber and certificate number of the gun. Not what the license was granted for (hunting/targets/clays/pest shooting/deer shooting, etc).

Now the other side of this is enforcement. Its, I won't say non existant, but other than deer hunters being stopped by NPWS rangers, I know of few if any actual enforcement or inspection "in the field" of licenses. It would be a little difficult even if An Gardaí wished to do so as the details of the conditions of the grant of the license are on PULSE only and not the license so if the Garda wanted to know more than the above listed details which are on a license they would have to radio back to the station for a manual check.

I listed the section above so not sure what else you want.

The grant is not a license, a license is a license. The grant is the notification of intent to issue a license based on the details outlined in your application, and upon the payment of the fee. If you apply for a license for a firearm for the reasons you outlined then use it for something else entirely, without having declared your intent, then its a fraudulent application and the license can be revoked if it is not already void.

Extreme example would be getting a rifle license and citing target shooting. Then going out deer hunting. You haven't provided details of the land, your suitability, experience, etc. to An Gardaí to show your competent/suitable to have a license for such a purpose. Now I'm not claiming they'll [AGS] do an indepth background check, but the reasons for requiring the firearm/license will be recorded on PULSE and if you act outside of the original reason(s) for granting the license then you are acting outside the conditions of the license, hence acting illegally.

Again, I mentioned it above. Section 4 of the principal act. It specifically says:

The issuing person won't grant the license unless the they are satisifed the person (licensee) complies with and abides by the conditions set out in section 4 during the course of the life of the license. Section 4(2) sets out a whole range of reasons and conditions such as, but not limited to:

• ...... has a good reason for requiring the firearm
• ...... where the firearm is a rifle or pistol to be used for target shooting, is a member of an authorised rifle or pistol club
• ...... complies with such other conditions (if any) specified in the firearm certificate, including any such conditions to be complied with before a specified date as the issuing person considers necessary 

It is, as above. If you want it to be more elaborate then I'd agree with you, but the purpose of the "vagueness" is to allow for both discretion and leeway. Not necessarily always to our favour.

As I said above the FCA2 is not a mandated or only option. I'd be surprised if the OP doesn't just walk into his local station, tell the FO he wants to hunt, and the FO says lash away. Does it make it legal right? Not sure. Would I like to have my arse covered by going the FCA2 route, absolutely.

At the risk of repeating myself, this is why I apply for everything. When granted the license I'm covered to pursue anything I want regardless of whether I do or not.

I cited legislation and you simply say its not right. That is not a rebuttal, its an opinion. Provide support for your point that section 4 does not cover the conditions for which you apply for a license.

I don't think we should be sensationalising something that is not happening. Section 4 was written by legislators, not me. No one is making it up, its there in black and white.

If you require further evidence that section 4 is the sole legislation for judging the reasons for gratning a firearm certificate then look at court cases such as William Goodison v Superintendent D. J. Sheahan, McCarron v Superintendent Kearney, O'Leary v Maher, etc. where refusals were issued (instead of grants) because the issuing person did not believe (among other issues) that the "Good Reason" the applicant gave was good enough. The Justice(s) also cited that the reason why a firearm was being applied for was as important as the person's suitability and ability to possess it safely.

I never said anything about retrospective anything. I said you apply for the license for a specific purpose(s), and once granted the license is for that purpose ONLY. To use the firearm for any other purpose other than that which was applied for it legally a breach of the conditions of your license.

I never said they made them untrue, I said to apply for a firearm for one purpose, and only that purpose, but to use it for additional purposes that were not applied for is a fraudulent application (if done on purpose). Its a breach of the conditions of your license if done in error. Your dismissal of such as "ridiculous" is your own opinion with no actual facts to support it, and should not be listened to by anyone for fear of falling foul of the law based on faulty/illegal advice of "you're grand, work away".

Of course it is. Now you're contradicting yourself, in the same sentence. You claim its a legal requirement, but not a licensing one. The only requirements for the Deer license and firearms license are legal ones. Its not a guideline or suggestion. When applying for a firearm for hunting you need to provide land permission or membership to a gun club to AGS. Without it you don't get the firearm license. Without it you don't get the Deer license from NPWS.

You apply for the firearm for Deer hunting on the FCA1 by ticking hunting and providing a copy of your Deer license in order to get the firearm. Without the Deer license, land permission(s), ticking the appropriate box etc. you don't get the firearms license. Deer hunting, the act, is covered under the Wildlife Act(s) and not germane (really) to the lciensing issue.

Again, how wrong this is, its dangerous. Therre is a dedicated section on the FCA1 to show competence. There are four listed methods to show comptence and one (ossibly more) of them must be met before a license is issued.

You've read that wrong. The "will continue to comply........" means they must abide by the terms of the grant/licensing of the firearm.

I said nothing about section 2.

So I'm wrong? then why did you immediately follow that accusation with "well here is one piece of law that says you must abide by the conditions of your license."

So to clear this up and prevent further novels as replies, you belive that once you are granted a license for a firearm for say target shooting, that you can go out hunting, and other with it without having applied for it for those reasons? You believe that if the license is granted on the condition you intend to use it for target shooting that there is no breach of the conditions of sai license by hsuing for other purposes not declared when applying?

It is true, its in law, the Commissioner's guidleines, and its been covered in court cases. Not a minefield as its not enforced. Gardaí have no "on site" access to PULSE so once a person has a firearms license for the firearm in their possession most Gardaí will not give much attention to the reasons/conditions applied for on the application.

You are reading it wrong or purposefully bastarding what I've said. I never claimed anything of the sort, that is a leap you have taken, without justification I might add. The legal requirement to provide land permissions only exists in so far as to provide lands, and the addition or loss of permissions is not a fraudulent application because you had them at the time of applying, and the license was granted based on what you had at the time. If you lost permissions, but used them at renewal time or for a new application (after loosing them) then its fraudulent.

Fraudulent means to be obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception.

Seems ticking as many relevant boxes on the FCA1 is easier, cheaper, and simpler to do than spending the last 9 days looking for arguments to legislation, doesn't it?

<Removing prohibited topic>

I'm not backtracking.

You've once again gone "missing" for two and half months and spent who knows how much of that time trying to think of ways to call me stupid, four by my count, while simply repeating your opinions rather than supporting your points with actual law or facts, so go ahead with your notions. I'm not here to convince you you're wrong, nor am I the Garda that polices such matters.

I#ll end on this. Section 5(1)(d) & (e).

So when you tick a box in section 4.2 of the FCA1 you apply for a license for that reason. If you select only one reason, and successful, then its granted based on that reason and that reason only. Thats easily understood.

According to section 5(1)(d) if you use a gun you were granted a license for, for any other purpose other than that which was applied for (the limit of purpose mentioned) then its grounds for revocation.

Part (e) deals with specific conditions applied to a license which are stated on the grant letter.