Caught the tail end of this with some lad on the pro-gun side saying this is a good idea and with some of JBrownes Min of state parting comments.

All questions answered on the podcast.

Linky:

https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-the-pat-kenny-show/proposals-for-a-new-advisory-committee-on-gun-laws

"VERDICT 6/10. Some good ideas there and some not so good. setting up this panel could be a double-edged sword to us, as who do they intend to get on there as "civilian advisors" AKA retired Garda members like our dear friend former Insp Brookes?The author of the Garda gun grab in 2015?😱😱 One we need to watch out for folks."

You mean like some of these "ex-members"???????

https://www.thejournal.ie/gardai-seize-cannabis-cash-arrest-dublin-5561233-Sep2021/

Another interesting aside to this harmonisation proposal is what might happen as a result of the looking-more-and-more-likely-in-the-nearish-future unification of this island into a single nation state. There's a good bit of talk about anthems, flags, constitutional change, compulsory language teaching, dual/multiple citizenship, etc; what might be the position of the many gun owners in Northern Ireland who currently possess firearms that are effectively illegal here (and in GB), reload their own ammunition, participate in practical shooting sports, etc? 'Harmonising' them into our firearms legislation is unlikely to be met with much enthusiasm.

As well as fireworks...Legal up there too...Oh and don't forget the new all Ireland police force that will have to be established? Will it be armed or unarmed? Does the Irish govt intend to provide to every former military and political figure and residing serving and ex-member of HM govt and forces with personal protection in a personal police protection officer?Or continue to allow them to be exempted new Irish citizens to be able to still carry concealed firearms.Let's not forget the complete melts on BOTH sides who still have access to illegal and legal firearms,and either do/dont want a 32 county Ireland, and are willing to start shooting again to get it or not ?What might be a trivial matter to someone firearms ownership could be the major deal-breaker on the whole NI situation one day.

Anyone tempted to start contacting James Browne, by email or letter, asking that we be brought into line with the EU, in respect of some of the things that might otherwise be "forgotten"?

The situation could get very interesting, if he has to respond to dozens of emails / letters, all calling for the same things as our fellow Europeans have.

I don't see how a polite letter referencing the recent Newstalk show, and asking that X, Y, Z be addressed, in order to bring our legislation into line with that of other EU member states, could be seen as a risk.

If we don't have certain entitlements, that our fellow Europeans have, why not call for them - giving logical reasons why we should have the same rights / access etc. ?

As things stand, we don't have certain benefits, and it doesn't look like we'll get any say on who will go on this advisory committee, so it's the only opportunity to be heard, imho.

It may also show that we're not quite the group of pushovers that we've been taken for, in times past.

Let's not forget, we're the good guys here, we play by the rules, unlike the criminals in our society.

"LOBBY your own TD'S and other TD's of influence. Forget about this guy, he hasnt done anything thus far to help."

Why not do both (lobby your own TD'S, and the Minister), so your local TDs are in the loop, and he's under the spotlight with them, given they are the ones that'll pay the price at the next election etc.?

What? You[all of you] haven't done this already??? Are ye waiting for a written invitation? Get to it!!!

Refer to things like;

Ireland has THE strictest gun laws in the EU, and for that, we have the LEAST access to things our EU neighbours enjoy, and even our neighbours up in NI have more benefits under their licensing system. Things like ;

WHY would you preclude members of "the gun lobby"[in your own words on newstalk] IE all of us concerned shooters, from your inquiry panel? or this proposed arbitration authority? You are proposing to make legislative changes that directly affect us, but preclude any representation or membership from those directly affected? Would you do this to any other group being affected in Irish society,or are Irish gun owners the exception?

CF handguns[available in and under varying conditions throughout the Union member states]Why are these particular types of firearms particularly despised/feared by the Irish PTB?

Ammo reloading is available throughout the union[subject to local legislation on storage or qualifications] but wholly unavailable to anyone in the Republic due to utterly vexatious legislation set up for commercial manufacture of munitions, and not an individual level. The legislation as it stands makes it impossible due to cost/red tape for someone to reload at home .

Ditto black powder/pydroex...Why particularly is the Republic shooter prohibited from shooting BP and muzzleloaders here? Again available throughout the union, and in some cases [France] not even considered a firearm.

Lack of a proof house in Ireland.A mandatory requirement now in the EU for a member state to provide such if they are manufacturing and offering dor sale on the market any firearms. This is something the Irish state cant fob off to a private company, as a proof mark is a state mark guaranteeing the safety of a product. The State and gunsmiths are wide open to litigation under product liability,if there is an accident with such untested firearms, plus said built-in Ireland firearms for individual customers cannot be legally sold within the EU without being in proof to the general public. This is also needed for us to legally deact any firearms under the EU directive of recent vintage. As it is impossible due to cost/transport/paperwork/backlogs to ship these firearms to continental EU countries for proofing/deacting.

Why is a weapon that pretty much became obsolescent in warfare around 1347[IE a crossbow] treated in Irish legislation as being as dangerous and restricted in sales as a modern semi-auto sporting centre fire rifle? They are treated as sports equipment everywhere in the union

Ditto, why are paintball markers treated as restricted firearms, and as restricted firearms how can unlicensed people use them on paintball adventure weekends without risking a 5-year jail term, while we cannot even legally allow another licensed person to use or test our licensed restricted CF handgun on a range? [The famous Whopsie ,Sparks called it in the Dail public inquiry]

Why is /was IPSC banned in Ireland, under very suspicious and utterly dubious claims of it being "combat training" when it has and,and can be attested to by anyone with police or military training as having nothing to do with such in any shape or form, and in light of a decade-plus passing since this legislation was enacted, should this nor be reviewed?

Can the position of substitution of CF handguns be clarified and be formally recognised in legislation, rather than relying on a very dubious "legal loophole" as policy? Likewise, can this be sorted out before any legislation is introduced regarding modern sporting semi-auto rifles so that those pre-2015 are not left in the same boat of legal limbo?

Why this hate on modern sporting semi-auto rifles all of a sudden?Particularly when the DOJ's own figures reveal that it is a minority-owned firearm with less than 40 licensed in the last 6 years? what is the coherent concern, and please no "particularly dangerous and public safety " guff.They have been used in exactly 0.0001% of gun crime in the ROI since 2006 going by the available AGS/DOJ /CSI statistics available in 2015.

Should get you going those points as material.

Annnddd we have another apparent domestic stabbing up in Dublin today in the news. Domestic rows with knives seem to be more common in Ireland than domestic shootings...So where are the outraged articles today from pearl-clutching women journalists about "violence against Wimmin" with kitchen knives? Surely now we should be pointing out to Min Browne that his proposed legislation, ostensibly to tackle knife crime is falling short of the mark. Should he not be calling for the banning of kitchen knives over 12 ins long? No one needs a kitchen knife over 12 ins long, and if it saves just ONE life...etc, etc.

Guess its much easier to promote "feel good " legislation and play God with a minority and scapegoat them than actually tackle a real societal problem.

All true however that's not the narrative. We need a well spoken enthusiast to be on the radio/Prime Time/wherever when these things are being discussed/debated. We are effectively censored. OK I know we are not however it's like when someone gets banned from twitter/youtube/etc, OK it's not censorship however when restricted from THE main platform used by everyone the net effect is censorship.

Basically we are oddballs/gun fetishists/wanna-be Rambo's.

All true however that's not the narrative. We need a well-spoken enthusiast to be on the radio/Prime Time/wherever when these things are being discussed/debated. We are effectively censored. 

I can guarantee you we would get a spokesperson doing excellent PR IF they are from the following group...disabled, female,trans, gay, racial minority or follower of Islam. Single or in a combo of any of the above.You pay the media at its own game,they cannot and will not refuse to interview anyone of those groups without the WASCIST DISCRIMINATION brand being applied to their asses.RTE is paranoid of this racist brandmark.Yeah,its easily to make fun of some old white bits of gammon huffing and puffing about "muh shooting sports" quite a different one to try it against a woman of afro carribean descent or the like.

The other option is and we talked about it is to start an Irish YT channel dedicated to shooting.

Gardai, Army (ref. "Women of Honour" revelations) in all walks of life/sports there are good and bad, same as in shooting. Shameful the decent, law abiding are often branded by the actions of a few bad eggs.

Just caught news on classic hits about Min Browne.He is also looking at banning "Zombie knives"here in Ireland and introducing an age limit on purchases of knives(16plus).

I am getting the feeling this guy is on a career run trying to make a name for himself on our backs with a law &order theme.

What, you mean apply sense and reason to their statements and actions? 😉

Unfortunitely, we're dealing with people who have been given responsibility over things that they don't know anything about, and are too arrogant to admit that they don't know anything about the sectors that the are asked to preside over.

I've often wondered if hosting a day or for the current Minister and his entourage at a target shooting club, might be worthwhile, every time a new Minister is appointed - try and teach them a few of the basics, show how things operate on the range, and ensure that there's a few journalists in tow, to cover the event. Let the Minister get a bit of decent PR, and hopefully find themselves having to acknowledge to the journalists that we're actually a safe, and law abiding, bunch. I'm fairly sure Harbour House did something a few years back, didn't they?

I suppose another approach is to start making it clear, that we'll lobby all licence holders to vote against certain political parties, in the next election. Then we'll lobby the lads that fish, the lads that hunt, those working in the agri sector etc.

Every licence holder has family and friends, so you could quickly be talking about a couple of hundred thousand votes.

FF-FG-Greens are hanging by a very thin thread, based on any of the event polls, so will they really want to pick a fight with a significant voting block?

I've discussed my apathy with voting with you before, as in I do not vote as I've no interest in taking part in the merry-go-round. I took your point at the time on board though, that I was giving myself zero say. So here I am now, a single issue voter and where do I go with it?

People don't have to focus on who they are going to vote in - they can focus on who the want to vote out, and then work backwards to see who gets their No. 1 vote.

For example, if all shooters decided that they wanted to vote their Green TDs out, they can do that, without all having to agree to give FG their No. 1 vote, some people might, while others might give their No. 1 vote to the SDs etc.

That's where we have more influence than some people here seen to appreciate - we can target people or parties, if we choose to do so.