Press release
Minister of State James Browne seeks expressions of interest for appointment to new advisory Firearms Expert Committee
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Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne has today announced that he is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates for appointment to a new advisory body, the Firearms Expert Committee, to be established in the second quarter of this year in line with commitments under the recently published Justice Plan 2022.
Applications are sought for the roles of:
The Firearms Expert Committee will comprise 5 members in total, including representatives of the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána. The Committee will be established on a non-statutory basis for an initial period of 6 months, which may be extended for a further 6 months at the Minister’s discretion, if required.
The Expert Committee will serve in an advisory capacity to the Minister, providing guidance on a wide range of matters related to firearms licensing in the State. In line with its Terms of Reference, the Committee will carry out an assessment of all types of firearms currently licensed in the State to determine their use under the existing licensing system. Based on this assessment, the Committee will make recommendations on the suitability of different types of firearms for future licensing.
The Committee will complete this assessment and report to the Minister within a short 6 month period. The critical expertise of the Committee and its recommendations will inform any future determinations for reforms to the firearms legislation and licensing regime within this jurisdiction.
Speaking today on the launch of the expression of interest process, Minister Browne said:
"Under Justice Plan 2022 we have committed to a range of actions to review and modernise legislation around firearms and explosives, including the establishment of a Firearms Expert Committee to examine the existing firearms licensing regime. The safety of the public is paramount to this, as is our objective of modernising criminal law and procedure to support the efficient and effective operation of the criminal justice system. I welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates and look forward to seeing this important work progress."
Further information concerning the Firearms Expert Committee and the appointment process is detailed in the Expression of Interest available online at: https://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/EoI_Firearms_Expert_Committee
The closing date of receipt of expression of interest is no later than 15:00 (Dublin Time) on Friday 29 April 2022, and no late or incomplete applications will be accepted.
Any queries concerning this recruitment process should be sent to fec@justice.ie
Details of the main duties of the appointed Chairperson and ordinary members are set out in the application booklet.
The term of appointment of the Chairperson and the membership term for ordinary members is 6 months, which may be extended at the minister’s discretion.
The fee for the Chairperson is €8,978 per annum, paid on a pro rata basis. For ordinary members, the annual fee is €5,985 per annum, paid on a pro rata basis.
Travel and subsistence reimbursement in accordance with rates published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform from time to time for the Civil Service will be provided for essential travel.
Information on the selection process can be found at the following link: https://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/EoI_Firearms_Expert_Committee