Gun licence backlog declared critical incident by PSNI

A firearms group has hit out over a backlog in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) licensing department.

A firearms licence is needed in Northern Ireland to buy or own a firearm or ammunition.

The PSNI said it had declared a critical incident over the situation.

The Northern Ireland Firearms Representative Group (NIFRG) said it had been told the backlog stood at 3,000 applications.

It said this was unacceptable.

The PSNI, which is responsible for managing gun licences in Northern Ireland, said it had developed a plan to increase resources in the licensing branch and had invested in a new IT system.

It added that the processing of licensing applications would remain a priority.

A critical incident is defined as "any incident where the effectiveness of the police response is likely to have a significant impact on the confidence of the victim, their family or the community".

'Deep dissatisfaction'

The NIFRG is an umbrella group which brings together national and local shooting and countryside organisations. 

Representatives from the NIFRG said they met officials from the PSNI and were told the backlog was sitting at roughly 3,000 applications and rising.

"The NIFRG took the opportunity to convey our deep dissatisfaction with the current situation within firearms licensing and we committed to work with PSNI to effect immediate and sustained improvements in performance," a NIFRG spokesperson said.

"Processing timescales of up to a year are wholly unacceptable," the spokesperson added.

They said the meeting had offered a "glimmer of hope, in what is a desperate situation".

"The current crisis not only reflects badly on PSNI firearms and explosives branch, but in the wider context it has also damaged public confidence in the police service generally. 

They said the intervention by PSNI was "a much-needed move".

On average the PSNI receives more than 17,000 firearms applications each year.

• PSNI spends £1m on gun licence system

• Public money spent on gun licence system

Ch Supt Sam Donaldson said: "I understand the impact that this has on anyone who is seeking a licence.

"We have developed a plan which will see an increase in the resources within the branch and have invested in a new IT system, we will continue to upgrade the system to improve our efficiency in handling applications.

"We have and will continue to engage with representative bodies from firearms groups to ensure we address any concerns they may have.

"As we work to resolve this issue I want to reassure the public that the processing of licensing applications will remain a priority."

A 2018 report, compiled by the comptroller and auditor general Kieran Donnelly, showed that the PSNI spends £1.6m per year on the licensing system but that it only recovers £1.3m per year.