To ask the Minister of Justice to detail how the proposed firearms licensing fees in Northern Ireland compare with those in other UK jurisdictions and Ireland.

Firearms fees in Great Britain (GB) were increased in February 2025 to recover the full cost of providing a firearms licensing service. Although fee structures differ and there are a number of various licensing fees, a comparable example with GB would be a coterminous grant for both a firearm and shotgun certificate which is £202, with a renewal costing of £155, and is valid for five years.

In Ireland, a firearm certificate (FAC) costs €80 (approximately £70) for each firearm for a period of three years. This figure has not been revised since 2009.

In Northern Ireland (NI), FACs are valid for five years and there are no separate shotgun certificates and no renewals, only the grant of a FAC which currently costs £98. In NI handguns can also be granted for personal protection and sporting purposes.

The current fees for NI firearms licensing now fall significantly behind other jurisdictions. The proposals outlined in the recently launched public consultation seek to amend the firearms fees to address that shortfall and move to full cost recovery for the delivery of firearms licencing services in NI.