Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI) has reported major progress in reducing delays in licensing sporting firearms in Northern Ireland.

For the past year CAI has been working closely with senior officers in the PSNI to reduce the unacceptable delays in the Northern Ireland firearms licensing process. This work included regular high level meetings with the PSNI including an Assistant Chief Constable, and the Head of the PSNI Firearms Licensing Branch. CAI is the only organisation to arrange such high level meetings of this nature and take such a proactive approach to this problem.

CAI is now pleased to report that, at long last, progress is now being made in reducing the backlog. The PSNI recently recruited an additional 8 new members of staff in the Firearms Licensing Branch, significantly increased overtime provision and also reduced any unnecessary administrative practices to the absolute minimum. The net result has been a dramatic increase in the number of certificates issued each week. During the first few weeks of May 2006 an average of around 1,500 certificates were issued compared with an average of little more than 300 certificates per week earlier this year.

Ronan Gorman, Chief Executive Countryside Alliance Ireland said, “Unacceptable delays of up to six months for the simple renewal of a firearms certificate have caused enormous inconvenience and distress to many responsible firearms certificate holders. The backlog is at last beginning to decrease but Northern Ireland’s 71,000 firearms certificates have our absolute assurance that CAI will not rest until firearms licensing delays are a thing of the past.”

For further information or for assistance with any firearms licensing matter please telephone CAI on 028 9263 9911 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it