Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2025
266. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of firearm licenses issued for handguns, broken down by county, between 2020 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70653/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile my Department is the competent authority for the import and export of firearms, An Garda Síochána has a range of functions with regard to the operation of firearms legislation, including the issuing of firearms certificates and authorisations and is the competent authority for the licensing of firearms within the State. The Firearms (Firearm Certificates for Non-Residents) Act 2000 gives the authority for granting licences to Superintendents of An Garda Síochána. Superintendents, when considering firearms licence applications, are considered 'persona designata' and cannot have their decision-making process fettered in any way. Neither I, as Minister for State, nor my Department, have any role in the issuing or otherwise of firearms certificates.An Garda Síochána have provided the attached table, outlining figures for the number of firearms applications with the status of ‘certificate printed’, for the period 2020-2025 to date, where the firearm type was either ‘pistol’ or ‘revolver’.
The following table counts firearms applications with status ‘certificate printed’ by application year where the firearm type was either ‘pistol’ or ‘revolver’.
|
Division |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
*2025 |
|
Clare/Tipperary |
42 |
30 |
45 |
45 |
44 |
49 |
|
Cork City |
17 |
19 |
50 |
31 |
31 |
39 |
|
Cork County |
28 |
37 |
56 |
38 |
55 |
51 |
|
D.M.R. Eastern |
29 |
38 |
40 |
31 |
46 |
57 |
|
D.M.R. North Central |
< |
< |
< |
< |
< |
< |
|
D.M.R. Northern |
62 |
78 |
119 |
82 |
126 |
111 |
|
D.M.R. South Central |
10 |
13 |
< |
< |
14 |
< |
|
D.M.R. Southern |
41 |
53 |
39 |
57 |
76 |
39 |
|
D.M.R. Western |
30 |
53 |
83 |
66 |
77 |
67 |
|
Donegal |
37 |
55 |
39 |
36 |
70 |
46 |
|
Galway Div |
22 |
27 |
25 |
26 |
29 |
23 |
|
Kerry |
23 |
38 |
32 |
28 |
45 |
29 |
|
Kildare/Carlow |
72 |
98 |
140 |
126 |
141 |
154 |
|
Laois/Offaly |
29 |
37 |
46 |
49 |
53 |
55 |
|
Limerick |
28 |
21 |
52 |
38 |
36 |
55 |
|
Louth/Cavan/Monaghan |
38 |
79 |
65 |
49 |
94 |
85 |
|
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford |
12 |
22 |
21 |
24 |
32 |
20 |
|
Meath/Westmeath |
54 |
44 |
69 |
80 |
69 |
67 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim |
12 |
11 |
16 |
14 |
15 |
15 |
|
Waterford/Kilkenny |
18 |
31 |
24 |
31 |
48 |
34 |
|
Wexford/Wicklow |
74 |
112 |
119 |
96 |
134 |
136 |
|
< fewer than 10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* to 7th December 2025
