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IAA News thread - Updated 22/11/2012

gandalf

This is a thread where news from the IAA will be posted.

IAA Chairman wrote:

Hi there,

Based on feedback we got around our AGM and general word from our members, we've asked the Mods if an IAA news thread might be appropriate for boards, and they've kindly agreed to let us have a sticky on this board, to keep people up-to-date on IAA happenings. A lot has been happening in the last while, so we'd like to keep people as informed as possible about developments as they happen.

We've taken this step as an acknowledgement that boards.ie is the de-facto place where people go for Airsoft information in Ireland. Airsoft and the IAA owe a lot to Boards, and we don't think it behoves us to expect people to keep up to date on both forums in order to have the latest news.

However, we'd still like any discussion of stuff on here to happen on our forums at http://www.irishairsoft.ie/forums/. This is where discussion of what the IAA does happens, and if you're a member or an interested party, we encourage you to sign up and get involved.

We also welcome feedback, questions, and suggestions to info@irishairsoft.ie. We monitor this address constantly, and you'll usually get a reply same day, if not same hour.

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o1s1n

IAA updated 20.07.09

IAA Committee wrote:

Hi All,

In communications with the Department of Justice, we discussed the implementation timeline of the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, specifically the issue of when the restrictions on importation of RIF will take effect. The department currently has no hard and fast dates for this but the thinking behind it is that it cannot be brought in until the Retail Licensing process has been rolled out, in order to not affect the supply of goods to the market.

While we think it would be irresponsible to give any more concrete dates, we suspect it will not be for several months. We will be meeting with he relevant authorities before then to discuss the specific licensing requirements, which we hope will be along the lines of our recommendations, which we have published on our website in the last few weeks.

o1s1n

IAA update 16.07.09

IAA Committee wrote:

A number of media outlets have been in contact for a statement regarding the recent incident in Cloonlara Drive in Finglas, where an An Post employee was shot with an ‘air rifle’ while delivering post in the area.

We have been in contact with the Garda press office, who have stated that no device has been recovered. However, the IAA would like to make clear that based on the description of the postman’s injuries as being a ‘nasty flesh wound’ and his hospital visit, we can state with certainty that this incident did not involve an Airsoft device.

An Airsoft device is incapable of penetrating even bare skin at point blank range or causing permanent damage to the unprotected eye. They use a small and light plastic pellet which is incapable of causing permanent injury, and are unable to fire heavier metal projectiles.

The device used in this assault would have to have been over the legal power limit of one joule, and would be classed as a firearm. An ‘air rifle’ of this kind would typically fire a lead or steel pellet or bullet, and require a license to own.

The IAA and all in the airsoft community utterly condemn all illegal acts done to innocent people in the course of their jobs, especially gun crime. We wish the An Post employee involved a speedy recovery, and hope the individual responsible is caught and faces the full consequences.

We are available for further comment, please contact info@irishairsoft.ie.

o1s1n

http://irishairsoft.ie/?p=834

IAA Committee wrote:

News Update

Hi everyone.

We’d like to update you on some of the things we’ve been up to in recent weeks. We’ve been pretty quiet in the last while, which is mainly due to a lot of things being in the pipeline. We’d like to bring you up to date on some things we’ve been up to.

Firstly, we’ve been in extensive consultations with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform about the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. We’ve heard encouraging things about some of the parts of the bill you asked us about. Specifically, it is not the intention of the bill to curtail private second-hand sales. There will also be oversight for superintendent permission for sites within the Garda structure. We’ll update you with more as we get it. We’re currently drawing up detailed standards for retailer licensing and site permission at the request of the department. We’ll publish these as soon as we submit them, and as always invite feedback and suggestions from the community and venues and retailers, be they members or affiliates or not.

We’d like to congratulate the Irish team who attended Berget 7 in Sweden last week. As always, the Irish emerged with a spotless reputation as fantastic, honest, and effective players. Long may it continue! The IAA gave each player who attended a unique “Na Fianna” tricolour patch, so if you see someone on a site with one over the next while, ask them for their war stories!

Na Fianna Patch

We’re also delighted to see our affiliates expanding. Airsoft Reloaded and G-TAC have both announced the opening of new venues for Airsoft, and we’ll be sure to let you know more as we know it. We’ll be carrying out site inspections in the near future as they’re built and playtested, and if the existing sites built by G-TAC and Airsoft Reloaded are anything to go by, we’re very excited to see the results! We’ve also gotten word of another of our affiliates opening a new venue. Stay tuned for further info as it happens.

Lastly, we’re now up and running on getactive.ie, the online portal for Irish people wishing to find a new activity to stay active and healthy. getactive.ie is run in conjunction with the Sports Council and the Federation of Irish Sports. Airsoft is a fantastic way to keep in shape and exercising, and we’ll be using this high-traffic site to promote airsoft as a sport suitable for all ages and fitness levels.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more information very soon.

The Master

IAA Committee Update 06.06.2009

IAA Committee wrote:

After gathering feedback from all corners of the community, the committee has submitted its latest document to the DoJ with regard to the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009. We would like to thank all the members and non-members who sent us your feedback and concerns about the MPB. Without this information we would not be able to give a true reflection to the Government departments of the feelings of the community.

The mood coming out of the Department of Justice remains extremely positive about the future of Irish Airsoft and we thank their staff for their diligent work. We will keep you up to date with developments as they happen.

http://irishairsoft.ie/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/request_for_clarification_on_mpb_2009.pdf
http://www.irishairsoft.ie/

The Master

IAA Committee Update 19.05.2009

IAA Committee wrote:

Hi All,

There are many things being thrown around about what the bill will or will not do, our document should clear up parts of that but there is still ambiguity and much concern about certain parts. We welcome the legitimisation of Airsoft this Bill provides, but there is still a way to go before we will be happy with its wording and implementation.
Let us try to highlight part of our position. These are the high-order issues as we see them.

We have received overwhelming expressions of unhappiness with the issue of personal imports of Airsoft devices from the community as a whole. We realise that there are many collectors and specialised skirmishers who may wish to purchase items unavailable in retail stores. While most retail stores we know of are able to make special orders, we feel that there should be some compromise when it comes to individuals purchasing what are essentially toys or sporting equipment. There are also some clarifications to be made with regard to personal sales of used equipment and repairs. Personal sale and repair of items that have no restriction on ownership should not be restricted.

We are not happy with S.35(9B) (Superintendent permission for sites) in its current form. We believe that sites do not pose any form of threat to the community and that the planning acts combined with existing trespass law is sufficient to remedy any issues arising in this area. As we outlined in our MPB document, we have already encountered issues with superintendents attempting to close a site for no reason but their own. This is completely unacceptable, and at the very least we will be lobbying for adjustments to this section so all rules of fair procedure and natural justice apply. The committee anticipated a section of the bill containing broad ranging powers that require no oversight, to this end we conducted research in similar areas of legislation on how the implementation can be tempered and also kept in line with standard procedure of the government.

There is a lot of speculation that the minister can simply ban us, or restrict us to two-tone or clear plastic guns at the drop of a hat stemming from this bill, S.35(9G-9H). This is not the case, a consultation process with the Garda Commissioner must be followed and any such order may be voided by the Dáil. The IAA will be strongly pushing for better security for us in this section, including an automatic voiding instrument for all restrictive measures that are not ratified by the house. We will also be seeking a meeting with the Garda Commissioner to clarify our position.

The IAA is still looking for your input on what we should address to the DoJ and government, its your sport, we work for you! Send all feedback and comments to info@irishairsoft.ie

Regards

Dave, Steve & Aidan

The Master

IAA Committee Update 19.05.2009

IAA Committee wrote:

It is with regret that we announce the retirement of Conor Scolard from the IAA committee. Conor tendered his resignation a week ago due to new demands on his time, and is in the process of handing over his responsibilities.

Conor has served on the IAA committee for over a year, as Community Liaison Officer, and more recently as Chairperson. His insight, drive and passion for the job will be sorely missed. However, he leaves us in an excellent position, with some fresh faces and a new drive to protect and further our sport.

We hope to follow the example of his determination in a good direction for all airsofters, and are confident the newly-expanded committee will be more than up to the task.

In Conor’s absence, Dave O’Connor will step in as Acting Chairperson.

The Master

IAA Committee Update 09.05.2009

IAA Committee wrote:

- PR3

A large Irish contingent visited Sennybridge, Wales for Phoenix Rising 3. These comprised significant numbers from The Ghosts, Band of Hawks and An Orde Nua. This opened the eyes of a lot of players to what play is like on a larger scale, and many of the attendees are already planning trips to future events in the UK and beyond.

- New Blood

We had several new people come on board the IAA committee, both executive and advisory. We're pleased to welcome Aidan Quinlivan as our secretary, Bernard Lyons as our Safety and Training Officer, and Gareth Neville as our Events officer. We've already held our first committee meeting as a larger committee, and look forward to bigger and better things as we move forward, with more people on board.

As always, if you're interested in helping out with the IAA, we'd love to hear from you! We're currently looking for people to develop our Marshal training program, and are stil looking for regional/site reps to manage the ever-growing comunity and the sites that seem to be appearing out of nowhere all over the country.

- Twitter

Our big push this year has been information. We love information, and we love sharing it with you as soon as we can. Not every little piece of news needs to go on the front page of www.irishairsoft.ie, so we've jumped on the twitter bandwagon. You can see our latest updates on events, photos and where the committee are skirmishing so you can some and say hello at http://www.twitter.com/irishairsoft. The updates are also available in the corner of our homepage

- MAC

We're pleased to announce that MAC came onboard as our newest IAA affiliate in April. Their site, Shadowlands, has to be seen to be believed. More on this on our front page.

The country has very much thawed out at this point, and we're pleased to see a number of sites in the Dublin area springing up. However, we're also now seeing a considerable number of sites and retailers opening outside Dublin, which is very encouraging. We'll be paying a visit to new sites as they open, and will keep you informed.

pew pew,

The IAA Committee.

The Master

IAA update 3rd May 2009

IAA Committee wrote:

Hi All,

The long awaited Miscellaneous provisions bill 2009 is due for publication in the coming days. This bill will be the first recognition of Airsoft in Irish law and is a good forward step forward in protecting our sport and putting it on a statutory footing.

Amongst other subjects covered in the legislation, we anticipate that the bill will contain a head (a ‘head’ is a part of a bill that grants the minister the power to make secondary legislation, and the scope of such) giving the government the power to make regulations for Airsoft. As it stands the head will have no impact until secondary legislation is brought in to give effect to its component parts. The IAA is very grateful that the Department of Justice is taking submissions from us with regard to the shape and direction of this regulation, this will be in line with the outcome of our January meeting with them. A copy of the meeting information can be found on our website under 'Meeting minutes and notes".

The wording of the bill when published may give rise for concern to some as it is drafted is broad plain terms, words like Sale, Supply, Age, Appearance, Storage, may be contained in it.
The Airsoft section would be a head, and not effective law until a secondary law is passed outlining the details of the measures. As requested, we will be submitting a draft set of regulations to the department based on the outcome of the previous meeting. As always we will keep you appraised of any further developments.

Again the Committee would like to thank the staff at the department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for involving us directly in the regulatory process for our sport.

As soon as we recieve the wording of the bill, we will open a discussion thread on our forums.

The Master

IAA update 18th April 09

IAA Committee wrote:

After an overwhelming response to our request for volunteers, we would like to introduce you to the first new additions to your IAA team. We are delighted to announce that Aidan Quinlivan (defenderdude) will be taking the executive position of Secretary on the committee from today. Aidan has been interested in Airsoft since the mid 90’s and playing since 2007 and is a long standing member of The Contractors. Aidan’s sporting past is both diverse and impressive, spanning international Kayaking to Paintball (we wont hold that against him.
We would also like to welcome Bernard Lyons (OzCam) and Gareth Neville (Rogue Trooper) to the team, Bernard will be working on drawing up the standardization of child protection policy as a first step in creating a range of essential training programs for site operators and their marshals. Gareth, as a technical advisor, will be using his professional skills in assisting the IAA in enhancing itself as an asset to our affiliates in respect of events management and promotion.

The committee would like to thank Keith Douglas for filling in as Secretary since the AGM, his time and good judgement has been a real asset for the committee and he will be missed in an executive role. We are pleased to announce that Keith will remain in his non executive role as technical advisor.

The Master

IAA UPDATE 9th April 2009

IAA Committee wrote:

IAA Affiliate and Member Update, March 2009

Dear Members and Affiliates,

Welcome to our News Update for March 2009. Apologies for the lateness, some of us are still zombies after attending Phoenix Rising III in Wales at the weekend. March has been an exciting month for Airsoft and the IAA, so let's get going:

- Take AIM Cup

March 1st saw one of the most anticipated and well-executed events for Airsoft ever in Ireland, the Take AIM cup. This saw Ireland's top Airsoft teams battling it out for the cup, at one of Ireland's premier Airsoft venues, Rathbeggan Airsoft. A fantastic day was had by all, and the cup went to Viper Squad, one of the most enthusiastic teams we've ever seen. We'd like to thank the folks at Take AIM magazine for putting on the event, and look forward to the next one, which we're told will be on the August bank holiday weekend.

- Operation New Dawn

This was one of the largest events ever in Ireland, with over 150 players attending at G-TAC in Galway. Accounts from the day say it was a fantastic event, and coverage of the event is in this issue of Take AIM magazine.

- New Affiliates

We've had a number of affiliates come on board in March, with more to come in April. We're please to let you know that the following Retailers, Venues and Clubs have come onboard during March:

- Strike Arms (http://www.strikearms.com/)
- Rathbeggan Airsoft (http://www.rathbegganairsoft.com/)
- Midlands Airsoft Club (http://www.freewebs.com/21-egiment-rratf/)

See the front page updates on these new affiliates for more. We're excited to see such fine venues and retailers coming onboard, and helping to preserve and grow the sport in a responsible and upstanding manner. Welcome!

- Volunteers

We've posted a shout-out on our website for people to volunteer for committee positions and to help out in general. We've been unable to get back to everyone (we'd like to meet some of you in person) but we're very encouraged by the number of people who've volunteered to help out. As you know, we've got several committee positions open, and if you're interested in devoting some time to Airsoft and the IAA, we'd like to talk to you. Drop us a mail at info@irishairsoft.ie, or catch up with one of us at a skirmish.

- Phoenix Rising III
This year, an Irish contingent formed a platoon-size contingent for the Phoenix Rising III event, held in Sennybridge, Wales, in April. The Ghosts, Band of Hawks and An Orde Nua got together to train together and work out logistics as an Irish National Team, and gelled together nicely as a larger group to do FIBUA training and preparations. We'd like to thank Johnny Kenna from the Ghosts for organising training, and the lovely people at Airsoft Reloaded and HRTA for providing venues for training the national team. We're cheating a little bit on this one, since PR3 happened in early April, but most of the prep work happened in March.

- Other Stuff
We did a reasonable amount of prep for PR3, providing a letter for travellers who needed to be able to use the skirmisher defence under VCRA when travelling in the UK. Steve, our legal advisor, also assisted a few of our affiliates in some planning law issues, including MAC, who resolved an issue with the local Gardai and Planning authority with our help. We've also been looking into sourcing a certified chronograph, and will be using this in our spot checks in future, and at future Airsoft events where we are asked to provide a watchful eye over the chrono. We've also been doing our regular support for our affiliates' events, and will continue to do so.

- Wrapup

March has been a very busy and rewarding month for us. We've seen very encouraging progress in a number of areas. Airsoft businesses are popping up everywhere, and soon, there will be somewhere to skirmish legitimately and safely in every part of the country.

The IAA Committee.

o1s1n

Airsofters of Ireland, your association needs you!

IAA Committee wrote:

March 10th, 2009
Over the past two years the IAA has been working to solidify the position of Airsoft in Ireland and bring the sport into the realm of socially accepted norms. Through our recent successes the future of Irish airsoft looks bright and prosperous, but there is a lot more work to be done.
The committee has been working hard on the current major topics and we have many more projects that we could be actioning plus structures to develop, but we have limited resources and much more that we could be doing.
The community and sport is growing steadily to become a major Irish sporting activity with an increase in players, venues, clubs and retailers. Naturally the IAA needs to expand with this growth in order to do the most possible for the sport. With that in mind your association needs your help. The IAA needs dedicated people to volunteer their skills and time to insure the development and growth of our sport continues. If you feel you can offer something, however small to Irish Airsoft please drop us a mail at committee@irishairsoft.ie

o1s1n

On behalf of the IAA

IAA Committee wrote:

SE Airsoft Discount

Hello again, hope everyone’s having a good February and the slightly better weather is encouraging the less rugged of us out to skirmish these days!

We’d like to update you on a new membership benefit for IAA members. As of today, IAA membership entitles you to a 5% discount on all purchases made in person at SE Airsoft in New Ross.

Purchases made online at http://www.seairsoft.net/, quoting your IAA membership number, will get you a free gift of BBs (and who couldn’t do with more BBs these days, eh?).

We’d like to thank Stephen and Fiona at SE Airsoft for offering this generous discount.

IAA membership is now cheaper, quicker, and easier, and can be done in five minutes with paypal at http://signup.irishairsoft.ie/

Regards

IAA Committee
http://www.irishairsoft.ie/

gandalf

Here is a joint statement from the IAA/IASRA

The IAA and IASRA wish to make the following statement.

It is in our best interests, and the interests of the sport as a whole, that we all work together to better Airsoft as an industry and a sport. The IAA has worked tirelessly in this regard and the new IAA committee have built on the work of the previous one to build bridges with those who may have had run-ins with us in the past.

The IAA and IASRA have met, and acknowledged that while both have made mistakes in their dealings with each other, and with other members of the community, reparations can always be made, and it is in our best interests to work together for the good of our sport.

However, people have expressed reservations at any merger between the two organisations, and the two committees recognise this. The IAA and IASRA will not be merging. We are still working on details, but the agreed-upon solution is the following.

- IASRA will become a chamber of commerce for Airsoft businesses, open to all Venues and Retailers, and with a committee elected of same.
- IASRA will have a non-commercial independent person, elected by the businesses, sitting as Chairperson on their committee. This chair will then have a position in the IAA to represent the businesses.

- IAA will remain the governing body for Airsoft in Ireland, with no amendments to constitution, activities or current committee members.

In the coming weeks, IASRA will hold an open meeting to devise a charter, and elect a new committee from the pool of all Airsoft businesses in Ireland. The IAA have offered their assistance in the setup of this meeting, and writing of the charter. This meeting will be open to all Airsoft businesses, and by its very nature will not be under the control of any one site or retailer. The committee will also consist of a representative who is not a commercial interest, in order to avoid any chance of collusion between members of the chamber of commerce in the form of price-fixing or other practices that may be unfair to Airsoft.

It is understood that for whatever reason, some players may not wish to join the IAA as individuals. IASRA recognises that the new IAA committee have done excellent work in building bridges long thought burnt, and endorses the new IAA committee as an organisation that has the best interests of Airsoft at heart, and have the ability to act as a governing and representative body. For a transition period, it is proposed that individual members may join IASRA, with the understanding that the IAA will act in their interests to represent them, Full IAA membership will still be required to vote at general meetings, under the terms of the IAA constitution. If members are unsatisfied with the IAA, they may appeal to IASRA for mediation. In this arrangement, the two organisations will work together, and keep each other honest in all dealings.

The IAA and IASRA realise that there is a lot of opposition from supporters of both organisations to working together and finding a solution that may require concessions from both sides. It is our opinion that a split of the community has already happened, and it is up to us to work together for the good of the sport and for the industry.

A lot of harsh words have been exchanged in previous days, weeks and months from supporters of both associations about the other, and we would ask people to consider their words carefully, and remember that they are representing their sport to outsiders and new airsofters.

The IAA and IASRA committees have come to an agreement that they will not support any acts of character assassination, rumour, hearsay or unconfirmed facts about any member of the Airsoft community. It is our hope that once IASRA has a well-defined charter as a commercial representation organisation and a committee fairly elected, that IASRA and the IAA can work together in the spirit of mutual respect that this community deserves, and endorse each other as legitimate and professional bodies.

I can't thank this myself as I posted it but this has a big thumbs up from me.

gandalf

IAA Update

IAA Committee wrote:

The IAA will be meeting with IASRA this wednesday, the 11th of February. We hope to have an open and frank discussion of the future of Airsoft governance and representation for Players, Collectors, Venues, Retailers and anyone who has an interest in Airsoft in Ireland.

We will, as always, publish detailed notes from the meeting online as soon as we have them. We are hoping this meeting will resolve many issues and questions people have, and are pleased that IASRA have chosen to speak to us in an official capacity on this matter.

The minutes from our committee meeting of last evening are available from our website "Meeting Minutes & Notes" section.

The IAA Committee
http://www.irishairsoft.ie/

o1s1n

IAA updated regarding new fee structure

IAA Committee wrote:

New Fee Structure and Online Signup

Fellow Airsofters,

When the current committee took office in December 2008, one of the stated aims was to reduce the complexity of the signup process for the IAA, and to revisit our fee structure for 2009.

It is with great pleasure that we present to you the results for these goals. Our fee structure for 2009 is as follows:

Regular Membership - €10

Junior Membership - €5

Membership will last from one year from join date, rather than until May of the following year.

We realise that many people have recently paid our old membership fee, and are happy to let you know that if your membership number is #00120 or more, your membership will be extended to December 31st 2009.

We will continue to not charge an affiliate membership fee. It is the opinion of the current committee that being financially accountable to its affiliates is not in the best interests of remaining impartial and working for the good of the sport, rather than simply for commercial interests. We are steadfast in our belief that the aims of our affiliated Venues and Retailers are aligned with ours — that is, the furtherance of the sport and its continued growth as an industry, and as a community.

With our greatly reduced fee structure, we hope to include as many as possible in the association, with as few bureaucratic and financial hurdles as possible. We are reconciled with the fact that this may mean a greatly reduced working budget for the IAA. As such, we are opening up to the idea of donations from individuals. This may take the form of payment of the old fee, or some other form of donation. The most valuable donation we can receive, however, is your time. We have a lot of work to do all over the country, and are busy recruiting regional and Venue representatives. If you’re interested in helping out, please check out our forum threads on the subject.

Lastly, it is with great pleasure that we introduce our new sign-up system. This will allow for individuals to sign up for IAA membership online. You will still receive a membership card, and all the benefits associated with IAA membership, this is simply an optimisation of the process. If you have been meaning to get to joining the IAA, but were put off by the paperwork, our signup system is now online at signup.irishairsoft.ie

We rely on our members for their support, both financial and otherwise, and we’d like to thank our supporters in the challenges we’ve faced as a new committee. We will not let you down.

Note: Should you experience any errors during the new online signup process, please contact committee@irishairsoft.ie with the details.

IAA Committee

http://irishairsoft.ie/?p=519

Rew

Update from the IAA/IASRA

IAA Committee wrote:

Joint Statement from the IAA and IASRA
Dear Airsofters…..

Yesterday representatives from both the IAA and IASRA held a joint meeting at the request of the Department of Justice Equality and Law reform to discuss several topics regarding Airsoft in Ireland. The meeting was productive and open, and the two bodies put forward their views of where the future of our sport should lie. The department representatives raised some serious concerns they have with Airsoft and highlighted that other bodies such as the Gardai, Customs, the Army and An Post are voicing similar concerns to them. The department also highlighted concerns over illegal skirmish activities.

The upcoming Miscellaneous Provisions Bill was discussed, it is to comprise of one section in particular pertaining to Airsoft which will address the main concerns tabled by the government. One of the key creations of the bill will be a specific offence covering the irresponsible brandishing or carrying of a replica firearm in a public place.

The department put forward strong proposals to deal with the issues relating to customs, ballistic testing and appearance of Airsoft devices. One of the main proposals being a complete ban on all Airsoft devices except those made of clear plastic, similar to the Canadian approach. This was debated by the attendees and the department highlighted how this would resolve the issues which they are having with Airsoft, in particular that of appearance. The IAA and IASRA both agreed that this was not a viable solution for the Airsoft community in Ireland and would result in a large decline of the sport and would potentially drive it underground.

After much debate, the representatives of the department put forward an alternative solution which, only with strong community support, could be made viable. The proposition put forward would be a restriction on all personal imports of airsoft devices by individuals and further to this, certification of retail outlets would be put in place. This means that only genuine dedicated airsoft retailers who agree to a set of minimum retail standards would be granted a licence for sale and import by the department. Individuals who wish to import their own equipment from international sources would have to do so through a licensed retailer.

We will be publishing detailed minutes from the meeting soon. We realise that the Department’s proposals may not sit well with some private collectors or players, and some existing retailers. However, we feel this is a good alternative to an outright ban, or the Canadian solution which nobody really wants. We will be working closely with the Department to refine and put in place guidelines for retailers that will be fair, balanced and enforceable.

The IAA welcome everyone to submit their suggestions or help in relation to this whether it be for or against these changes. Please send details to info@irishairsoft.ie

gandalf

IAA Committee wrote:

Howdy folks. Here are some updates on recent and future happenings.

The IAA was present at the inaugural meeting of South-East Airsoft Club in New Ross on Saturday last. The turnout and enthusiasm of those there was great to see and we’re hoping to see great things from SEAC in the near future. We also took the opportunity to speak to representatives of SEAC and SAS-C about club guidelines, and open a dialogue about venue guidelines in general. Expect more on this soon.

We’ve also met with MAC, who have recently secured land for their club. This is a great step forward for Airsoft in Longford and surrounding counties. We’d also love to hear from other Clubs who are just starting out. People from existing Clubs have done a lot of leg-work and we’re only too happy to point you in the right direction and help out with representation and publicity.

Minutes from our recent meetings with Clubs, as well as committee meetings, are in our minutes section as usual.

We will be meeting with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the coming week to discuss several items of note to do with Airsoft, as well as discuss the recently-drafted miscellaneous provisions bill. We will of course be releasing minutes and notes from this meeting as soon as possible where permitted. We believe that a delegation from IASRA will also be attending this same meeting, although we have been as yet unable to either discover what their proposals are or schedule a meeting with them, either as a committee or individually, prior to this meeting.

We have a lot more stuff in the pipeline, to do with memberships, clubs, publicity and affiliates. Stay tuned for updates as they happen.

The IAA Committee

http://www.irishairsoft.ie/
http://irishairsoft.ie/?page_id=414
info@irishairsoft.ie

gandalf

Update from the IAA.

IAA Committee wrote:

The IAA wishes to congratulate Steven and Fiona of SE Airsoft, who will be holding the inaugural meeting of South East Airsoft Club on this Saturday, the 17th of January in New Ross. For more details, see our forum. This is a culmination of a massive effort on their part to secure land and interest, and we wish them the best of luck.

We recognise that Airsoft clubs are becoming an essential part of what will bring Airsoft to regions where people might be reluctant to open a commercial venue, and an essential element of the Airsoft community. We would like to invite any players in the southeast region to attend and consider joining.

The IAA will also be holding a meeting in New Ross on the same day, after the above meeting. We are in the process of drawing up Club Standards, in heavy consultation with existing club organisers and people interested in doing so in the future. We would invite anyone considering running an Airsoft Club in their area to attend, both to have your say on the guidelines that will be set out and to share advice and information with other club organisers.

We also invite those interested in joining the IAA, or those who wish to talk to us in person about anything to come along and have a chat.

Hope to see a good turnout,

The IAA Committee
http://www.irishairsoft.ie/
http://www.irishairsoft.ie/forum/
http://www.irishairsoft.ie/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=207

gandalf

Another update from the IAA

IAA Committee wrote:

Howdy folks,

In our committee meeting yesterday evening, we decided it would be a good idea to publish notes from our committee meetings, to let affiliates and members have a better idea of what we’re up to and to let you know what to expect from the IAA in the near future.

Therefore, we’re happy to point you to the brand new “Meeting Minutes and Notes” section, where you will find minutes from our general meetings and meetings with government bodies and TDs, along with notes from our regular committee meetings, including our meeting held yesterday.

As always, please feel free to discuss anything you see in the minutes in our forum.

http://www.irishairsoft.ie/forum/
http://irishairsoft.ie/?page_id=414

gandalf

IAA Committee wrote:

Dear Members and Affiliates,

First of all, we in the IAA would like to wish you yourselves a successful, prosperous and healthy new year. We're very excited about 2009, and we hope to put more of an effort into keeping you up to date with what we're doing. This is the first of the monthly-or-so updates we'll be sending out to give you an idea of what we're up to. This update covers the month of December 2008.

- DoJ proposals and meeting Deputy Flanagan

Top of our agenda, of course, is the release of our draft proposals to the DoJ, and our meeting with Charles Flanagan in Leinster house. Deputy Flanagan sits on the committee which is producing the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, which is the legislation we're so eagerly awaiting in the next few weeks. This meeting was very encouraging, and Deputy Flanagan was very impressed with our proposals. He himself is a paintballer, and now understands the premise of what Airsoft is. His feedback, and later feedback from our contacts in the DoJ indicate that our input was well received. We'd like to thank Tony Geraghty of Eirsoft for coming along to this meeting and providing valuable insight into the business side of Airsoft, and just how many people rely on it for their living, and how much it gives to the economy. We're meeting with the DoJ again in the next few weeks to discuss the bill, and will let you know how we get on.

- AGM

The 14th of December was our AGM, where we elected our new committee. We then worked on handing over responsibilities and information over the next few weeks. We also voted for the inclusion of Northern Ireland players and sites. We are currently talking to people from ASI about setting up a framework for nothern affiliates and members, and are actively recruiting a northern representative. More on this in our next update.

- FIS

The IAA is currently in the process of applying for associate membership of the Federation of Irish Sports. The FIS is a body that offers assistance and respresentation to sport in Irish Society, and the governing and representative bodies for sport. We feel that this will go a long way toward legitimisation of the sport, and hope to make full use of the information and representation made available to us by FIS.

- IASRA

We recently sent out an email to affiliates, some of whom were unaware of IASRA, a body that claimed to represent them. The IAA currently have assurances from IASRA that they will meet with us in the new year to talk about our shared goals, with a view to working together to a common purpose. However, we have some grave concerns about the manner in which the body was set up, and some of the regulations and guidelines they seek to impose on players and retailers. We are however approaching the issue with open minds, and with an attitude of full disclosure and honesty. We will be sending out updates as we get them.

- Press

We were recently approached by the Irish Times, who were seeking to do a piece on Airsoft, in light of the minister's comments about an outright ban. They were eager to see it being played, and we took a journalist and photographer from the Times to HRTA before Christmas. We're confident that this will result in a positive piece on Airsoft if published, and we'll let you know when it's published. Our special thanks go to Paul Carey of HRTA for allowing us to show the press our sport being played on his fine site.

- Wrapup

December has been a busy month for the IAA, and has been the culmination of many months of work from the committee, our affiliates, and our members. At the end of the day, it is the upstanding, safe, and responsible players of the sport that make it what it is today. We appreciate your support, and we appreciate you continuing to support Irish businesses, be they our affiliates or not. We hope to visit many of our affiliates in person in the new year, and we encourage both affiliates and non-affiliates to contact us at committee@irishairsoft.ie if you'd like to schedule a visit or meeting.

Have a great new year,

Conor, Dave, Steve, Keith
IAA Committee

fayer

The IAA welcomes Minister Ahern's statement clarifying the upcoming content of the MPB 2009. The IAA has been in close contact with the ministers department in drawing up the structure and working for the forthcoming bill with relation to Airsoft. We are delighted to see that our representations have been successful in changing the proposed direction of the bill. It is a testament to the hard work of the members of the organisation that the amendments drafted by them have been accepted by the Department and directly included in new Irish Law. Given the recent comments by the minister as to the future of Airsoft, and contradictory information we were receiving from the Department of Justice, the situation was very confusing and potentially dangerous for our Sport. Hopefully this publication will reassure the community. We will be receiving a draft of the MPB as soon as it is available and will make it available to all. I include a snippet of the recent communication for the DoJ.

Recent reply from the DoJ

"...airsoft will be regulated very much along the lines
proposed by the IAA - that is to say there will be a specific offence re
possession in a public place, standards for retailers, perhaps a code of
conduct/safety guideline for venues.

...the intervention of the IAA in making workable and sensible
proposals was the perfect solution and that's very likely the way it will
go.

...The IAA has achieved a lot in a year and in terms of the MPB I think you
will broadly welcome it since it legitimises airsoft and elevates it from
existing in a 'loophole' to being a recognised and legitimate activity."

Regards,
THE IRISH AIRSOFT ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE

kdouglas

The minutes are now available on the IAA website:

irishairsoft.ie wrote:

The Minutes from the IAA AGM held on 14th December 2008 are now available here.

We have also upgraded the software on our website, our forums and our IRC chatroom. If you notice anything strange or unusual about the website, forums or IRC, please don’t hesitate to let us know at info@irishairsoft.ie

Conor, Dave, Keith, Steve