Justice Minister confirms firearm licensing fees unlikely to be introduced during the remainder of the current Assembly mandate
Newry and Armagh DUP MLA Gareth Wilson has welcomed confirmation from the Justice Minister that increases to firearms licensing fees are unlikely to be introduced during the remainder of the current Assembly mandate, but has cautioned that the issue may simply be deferred rather than dropped altogether.
Mr Wilson had raised the matter directly with the Minister through an Assembly Question, following significant concern from the shooting and rural community about proposals to move to full cost recovery.
Mr Wilson said: “I very much welcome the Minister’s indication that it is unlikely any increase to firearms licensing fees will be implemented during the rest of this Assembly mandate.
"This will come as a relief to many law‑abiding firearms owners who were facing the prospect of significant additional costs at a time when household budgets are already under pressure.
"The Department’s original proposal to move to full cost recovery caused deep concern across the shooting community, with many fearing it would place an undue financial burden on individuals who already comply with rigorous licensing requirements.
"It was clear from the consultation that there were serious flaws in both the substance of the proposals and how they were developed.
"I welcome the fact that the Minister has listened to those concerns and stepped back from pushing ahead at this stage.
"Meaningful engagement with stakeholders is essential, and any future policy in this area must be fair, proportionate and properly thought through.
"However, while this pause is positive, it is important to recognise that the Department has not abandoned its intention to pursue full cost recovery.
"Minister has been clear that increasing fees remains a priority, and therefore there is a very real risk that these proposals could return in a future mandate.
“That is why continued vigilance will be required. Firearms owners and representative groups will rightly expect to be fully involved in any future discussions, and I will continue to press the Department to ensure that any revised approach does not unfairly penalise responsible licence holders.
"For now, this is a welcome reprieve, but it must not be used simply to repackage the same proposals at a later date without addressing the fundamental concerns that have already been raised.”