FINIAN MCGRATH HAS admitted the photo of a bullet-damaged road sign he held up during yesterday’s justice committee meeting might have been taken in the UK.

Source: Oireachtas.ie

He was using the photo to highlight what he believed was inappropriate use of legally-held firearms.

McGrath told TheJournal.ie he was sent the image, along with several others, in good faith.

When it was pointed out to McGrath the image he used yesterday might have been taken in the UK, the deputy said he has plenty of photos showing bullet-damaged signs in Ireland.

McGrath sent the below images to TheJournal.ie. He said he received them from a concerned individual who took them at various locations throughout the country.

McGrath has repeatedly called for greater regulation in firearms licensing. He said, as a result, “the gun lobby have been after me for the last three months”.

The Dublin North Central TD stated that he is not “anti-gun owner” but wants stricter rules to be introduced in this area.

Stolen guns

Kealan Symes of the National Target Shooting Association told the Oireachtas justice committee in January “the current licensing system has many failings, but ease of access to firearms is not one of them”.

At the same meeting Damien Hannigan, secretary of the Wild Deer Association of Ireland, said: “There is no evidence of a link between legally held firearms and criminal activity.”

Last month, reports circulated that over 1,700 guns, including 852 shotguns and other legally-held firearms, had been stolen in Ireland since 2010.

However, the reports did not include details of what is classed as a firearm or what the rest of the breakdown contains. Included in the statistics were air rifles, toy guns and safes.

Hat tip to Mark Dennehy