Sports Coalition boycotts FCP

Sparks · 21-02-2018 10:50pm #1

From their website issued for public release.

Press Release – SPORTS COALITION BOYCOTTS FIREARMS CONSULTATIVE PANEL – 20/2/18
POSTED BY PAUL WALSH ON FEB 20, 2018 | COMMENTS OFF ON PRESS RELEASE – SPORTS COALITION BOYCOTTS FIREARMS CONSULTATIVE PANEL – 20/2/18

Chairman: Paul Walsh Mod edit - we're not going to post his address or phone number
Email: paul.a.walshpc@gmail.com

SPORTS COALITION BOYCOTTS FIREARMS CONSULTATIVE PANEL

The Sports Coalition, an organisation representing the interests of varied groups of countrysports people, has served notice of its boycotting meetings of the Firearms Consultative Panel (FCP) and the Department of Justice because the Minister and his Department continue to sit around the table with people who are representing the interests of those who are the subject of a Garda investigation in relation to illegal use of firearms. This has arisen as a result of one NGO member’s unlawful use of the Garda logo, which is a criminal offence under the Garda Siochana Act and its acknowledged indemnity protection of illegal use of firearms while failing to report such incidents to the appropriate authorities. The Chairman of the Sports Coalition, Paul Walsh, said that it beggars belief that the Minister is prepared to encourage input in relation to the administration of firearms licensing policy from an organisation which has been caught condoning and covering up the illegal use of guns. Mr Walsh said, “This is crying out for the Minister to demonstrate the kind of moral leadership which citizens are entitled to expect. The people concerned should be excluded from any official meetings while criminal investigations are ongoing. The illegal acts identified are ones which would debar a person from owning a gun due to public safety concerns.” He said that the failure to report and the failure of the Minister to respond appropriately gives comfort to firearms offenders.

ENDS

20/2/2018

I've not been able to get the relevant minutes of the FCP meeting where it happened, but I am given to understand that the "criminal complaint" he's referring to here is a written complaint submitted by the Sports Coalition to the Gardai accusing the NARGC of supporting criminal acts on the grounds that the compensation fund the NARGC runs is permitted by law to pay compensation even if the injured party was not in full compliance with the firearms act at the time of the injury.

There are further documents released on the SC's website at this time:

http://www.sportscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Pressstatement19.02.18.pdf
http://www.sportscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Letter-from-SC-to-Minister-Staunton-19_02.pdf
http://www.sportscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Letter-to-All-TD-And-Senators.pdf
http://www.sportscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sports-Coalition-to-M_Walsh-DOJ-19_02.pdf

Those are open letters to the Minister, every TD and Senator in the Oireachtas, and the Principal Officer of the DoJ Firearms Unit.

I've seen more petty, damaging, stupider acts carried out in the course of working on firearms legislation in Ireland during the last decade or two, but I think this is the first time I've seen one lobbying group formally and legally accuse another of a criminal enterprise to the Gardai and the Department of Justice. So it's a new low, if not a lower low.

Far be it from me to suggest a motive, but the cynic might read some paragraphs in the letter to the minister and extract a meaning from them which was perhaps not intended by the original author.

The members of the Sports Coalition are deeply concerned that it appears you intend to
conduct a meeting concerning the composition of the membership of the FCP which we can
only deduce from statements made publicly a member NGO that the meeting is being called
at their behest.

Grizzly 45 · 21-02-2018 11:02pm

I guess the SC and Mr Walsh have missed out that lamping is perfectly legal in the UK and NI? If you are going to throw a wobbler of this magnitude, at least have your facts straight??? If they have fuked up on something as basic as this, what else are they screwing up on?:rolleyes: Teddies, pram and throwing said teddy out springs to mind here.

Rifter · 21-02-2018 11:33pm

Is there any way at a grassroots level we could make a submission, or petition the minister to remove the SC from the FCP as from what I can see they don't represent my interests or the shooting communities?

Sparks · 21-02-2018 11:34pm

Just write to him. You're a voter, he's a Minister.

wirehairmax · 21-02-2018 11:35pm

Good riddance, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Vindictive, petty, childish, bullying, ignorant etc etc

grassroot1 · 21-02-2018 11:36pm

"The track record of the SC is one of honesty and diligence"
Quite,god sent us no greater loss.

wirehairmax · 21-02-2018 11:46pm

With any luck, the FCP can now move on and go about it’s business without these clowns to disrupt and drag everyone into the gutter with them. With the change of executive in the NASRPC, I would also hope they see sense and disassociate and distance themeselves from the SC before they have done themselves too much damage.

Sparks · 21-02-2018 11:50pm

I think the disruption to the FCP may not be over, given that they've just contacted every backbencher in the oireachtas....

solarwinds · 21-02-2018 11:56pm

Who needs anti gun groups when you have this lot.
I still fail to see how they are supposed to be bettering the perception of gun sports in ireland when all they seem to be doing is trying to shut them down one by one.

Grizzly 45 · 22-02-2018 12:55am

Start a change.org online petition?

gunny123 · 22-02-2018 1:56am

Walsh is trying to dictate to Staunton what groups he should and should not be meeting with ? Will he ever take a day off, or better yet do a Lord Lucan and disappear from the shooting sports in Ireland.

Rifter · 22-02-2018 2:02am

Sparks wrote: »

Just write to him. You're a voter, he's a Minister.

1 email/letter is better than nothing, a couple of thousand would be better, no?

meathstevie · 22-02-2018 2:05am

Who is the clown that wrote those letters ? Criminal matters ? Two allegations were made is probably what he means. And than having the neck to tell the minister such and such has to be excluded because the same party issuing the demand to the minister has made those allegations.

I think the minister is shaking in his boots....

BattleCorp · 22-02-2018 7:50am

What are we going to kiss goodbye to because of this? Centrefire rifles, handguns? Something is going to go. The anti-gun powers that be must be pi55ing on themselves laughing.

grassroot1 · 22-02-2018 7:58am

BattleCorp wrote: »

What are we going to kiss goodbye to because of this? Centrefire rifles, handguns? Something is going to go. The anti-gun powers that be must be pi55ing on themselves laughing.

We may not lose anything, the SC who represent very few if anyone have resigned their seats at the FCP. The work of the FCP will go on.

If you think Paul Walsh(or his ghost writer) will save shooting they won't. They only work for themselves.

solarwinds · 22-02-2018 9:51am

BattleCorp wrote: »

What are we going to kiss goodbye to because of this? Centrefire rifles, handguns? Something is going to go. The anti-gun powers that be must be pi55ing on themselves laughing.

Sure they have all disbanded this lot are more effective

BattleCorp · 22-02-2018 10:04am

Are the NASRPC still part of this shambles?

BattleCorp · 22-02-2018 10:28am

Lads, the more I read the letters issued by the SC this week, the more I despair.

What the fcuk are this crowd at? Will they be happy when nobody is left with a gun in the country at all? It looks like that is their aim.

By writing to Minister Staunton and every other TD they could get in contact with and accusing other shooters of engaging in illegal activity, they have painted us all as criminals.

They are a pack of wa*k*rs.

Sparks · 22-02-2018 10:42am

BattleCorp wrote: »

Are the NASRPC still part of this shambles?

The last we heard, yes.

Cass · 22-02-2018 10:51am

gunny123 wrote: »

Walsh is trying to dictate to Staunton what groups he should and should not be meeting with ?................................

To the above highlighted bit i give you this:

grassroot1 wrote: »

If you think Paul Walsh(or his ghost writer) will save shooting they won't.

BattleCorp wrote: »

Are the NASRPC still part of this shambles?

And you wondered why i had so much anger when i heard they rejoined?

BattleCorp · 22-02-2018 10:57am

Cass wrote: »

And you wondered why i had so much anger when i heard they rejoined?

Are you sure it was me that wondered why you had so much anger when they rejoined?

Especially seeing as I'm not a fan of the NASRPC and have been very critical of them from when they changed their Constitution and removed votes from shooters. That's a few years ago now.

Sparks · 22-02-2018 11:01am

Honestly, I'm just so looking forward to seeing a rerun of Finian McGrath's nonsense when he sees the SC's letter.
And the papers deciding it's silly season and using the SC's press release to tie us to the Parkland school shooting.
And the Gardai using this in hallway meetings to hint that maybe having "civilians" involved in the legislative process is counterproductive.

There were more damaging things they could have done, but this was pretty up there in terms of "stupid **** nobody should be doing unless they actively want to see shooting sports destroyed". I literally can't decide whether it'd be worse if this was done out of malice or if it was done out of incompetence.

Cass · 22-02-2018 11:58am

BattleCorp wrote: »

Are you sure it was me that wondered why you had so much anger when they rejoined?.

The general "you" as opposed to one specific person. I only quote you as you have hit the nail on the head as to why i didn't want to see anyone lend support and credence to the sc.

Sparks wrote: »

I literally can't decide whether it'd be worse if this was done out of malice or if it was done out of incompetence.

It must be a little from column A, and a little from column B. Why else would they do it?

solarwinds · 22-02-2018 12:13pm

Can anyone please explain in laymans terms to the thick here(namely me) as to what the SC end game is here.
Because i am at a complete loss as to why a body who claims to represent shooting interests here seems to be doing its utmost to get rid of it.
I mean who do they actually hope to be representing if they achieve their goal, whatever that is.

Sparks · 22-02-2018 12:19pm

Can anyone please explain in laymans terms to the thick here(namely me) as to what the SC end game is here.

If someone could do that, I'd be interested in hearing the explanation as well, because the only people I can see benefiting from this are people who don't want private ownership of firearms in this country.
Even the SC can't benefit from this. And frankly, if it was *my* name attached to this, I'd be on the phone to my solicitor talking about how much I'd have to set aside to fight a defamation case.

BattleCorp · 22-02-2018 1:20pm

The FCP had a brief meeting today. There was only one item on the agenda - should the FCP be disbanded or should it continue?

There was no decision made at the meeting. The Minister listened to the views of whoever was there and has gone off to consider the views he heard this morning.

Sparks · 22-02-2018 1:23pm

BattleCorp wrote: »

The FCP had a brief meeting today. There was only one item on the agenda - should the FCP be disbanded or should it continue?

There was no decision made at the meeting. The Minister listened to the views of whoever was there and has gone off to consider the views he heard this morning.

If they disband the FCP over this, I'll have a name to give anyone who asks "why is it so hard to get into target shooting in this country" or "why can't I licence <such and such firearm>" for the next several decades.

I really don't have words to express what it feels like to look at something that you and a few dozen others poured a decade of your life into working hard to improve and see one or two individuals with at best murky and at worse malicious intent bring the whole thing crashing down with a smirk on their face.

cavan shooter · 22-02-2018 1:30pm

Anyone see this:

https://nargc.ie/press-release-21st-february-2018/

BattleCorp · 22-02-2018 1:38pm

I believe that the position of most people at the meeting was that the FCP must continue.

Sparks · 22-02-2018 1:38pm

Not yet, but to save the click:

Press Release 21st February 2018
Posted By: Michael Fenlon 1022 Views
NARGC STATEMENT:
We are aware of the recent reports emanating from the Sports Coalition and we wish to assure our members that we are monitoring these statements and that we will challenge all false accusations. We will defend our members against any malevolent and misleading accusations.

We wish to assure all our members and interested parties, that we will continue to represent our membership effectively at the Firearms Consultative Panel and in all other forums where our input is necessary to advance the interests of all our members and country sports persons.
Michael Fenlon
National Chairman

Seems to confirm what I mentioned above in passing:

I've not been able to get the relevant minutes of the FCP meeting where it happened, but I am given to understand that the "criminal complaint" he's referring to here is a written complaint submitted by the Sports Coalition to the Gardai accusing the NARGC of supporting criminal acts on the grounds that the compensation fund the NARGC runs is permitted by law to pay compensation even if the injured party was not in full compliance with the firearms act at the time of the injury.

For anyone who's not familiar with compensation funds by the way, the practice that I'm given to understand the SC called "supporting criminal acts" is actually perfectly legal and above board. Given that such funds get run by everyone from the Law Society to the Government themselves, it's one of the more ludicrous allegations I've heard of against an NGB in the last few decades.

Grizzly 45 · 22-02-2018 1:51pm

So tell us, why is the general shooting population not calling Mr Walsh and the SC to account for his/their sins? No point in us fuming amongst ourselves...The man and that organisation need to know that he does not have the backing of the Irish gun owner and he is going to be called to account by us.

Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information

Sports Coalition boycotts FCP

Comments

Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County

Forum Charter - Useful Information - Photo thread: Hardware - Ranges by County - Hunting Laws/Important threads - Upcoming Events - RFDs by County