S.I. No. 337 of 2009

FIREARMS (RESTRICTED FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION) (AMENDMENT) ORDER 2009

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 28th August, 2009.

I, DERMOT AHERN, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 2B (inserted by section 29 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 (No. 26 of 2006)) of the Firearms Act 1925 (No. 17 of 1925), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Firearms (Restricted Firearms and Ammunition) (Amendment) Order 2009.

2. This Order comes into operation on 26 August 2009.

3. In this Order "Principal Order" means the Firearms (Restricted Firearms and Ammunition) Order 2008 ( S.I. No. 21 of 2008 ).

4. Article 3 (1) of the Principal Order is amended by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of "short firearms":

"'short firearms' means firearms either with a barrel not longer than 30 centimetres or whose overall length (excluding the length of any detachable component) does not exceed 60 centimetres;".

5. Article 4(2) of the Principal Order is amended-

(a) in subparagraph (d) by the deletion of the word "rim-fire", and

(b) by the substitution of the following subparagraph for subparagraph (e)-

"(e) the following short firearms designed for use in connection with competitions governed by International Olympic Committee regulations:

(i) air-operated firearms of 4.5 millimetres (.177 inch) calibre;

(ii) single shot firearms using 0.22 inch long rifle rim fire percussion ammunition;

(iii) other firearms using 0.22 inch long rifle rim fire percussion ammunition provided that the maximum magazine capacity of such a firearm does not exceed five rounds and that the barrel length of the firearm is greater than 10 cm.".

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

25 August 2009.

DERMOT AHERN,

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.