Firearms Act, 1925

Gárda Síochána may search for and seize certain firearms, etc.

21.—(1) Any member of the Gárda Síochána may at all reasonable times enter upon and have free access to the interior of—

(a) any premises used for the manufacture, sale, repair, test, or proof of firearms or ammunition, or

(b) the premises of any person engaged in the business of carrying goods for reward, or

(c) any warehouse or other premises of any person engaged in the business of warehousing goods for reward, or

(d) any pier, quay, wharf, jetty, dock, or dock premises, or

(e) any ship, boat, railway waggon, motor, lorry, cart, or other vessel or vehicle used for the conveyance of goods.

(2) Any member of the Gárda Síochána may inspect any firearms or ammunition, or any case, box or package found by him in any place entered by him under the authority of this section or upon or in any public place, and may open any such case, box, or package which he reasonably believes or suspects to contain firearms or ammunition, and may seize any firearms or ammunition found in any such place as aforesaid and which he reasonably believes or suspects are being imported into or exported from Saorstát Eireann or are being or have been removed from one place to another in Saorstát Eireann in contravention of the provisions of this Act.

(3) It shall be the duty of every person having custody or control of any firearms or ammunition in any such place as is mentioned in sub-section (1) of this section or upon or in any public place on demand by a member of the Gárda Síochána to afford such member all reasonable facilities for the inspection of such firearms and ammunition and to produce to such member on demand by him any documents in his possession relating to such firearms or ammunition.

(4) If any person—

(a) obstructs or impedes any member of the Gárda Síochána in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on him by this section, or

(b) knowing the name or other particulars of the consignor, consignee, or owner of any firearms or ammunition or of any case, box, or package which such member is entitled to inspect under this section, refuses to give such name or other particulars to such member, or

(c) wilfully or recklessly gives to such member any false or misleading name or other particular of any such consignor, consignee, or owner,

such person shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof in the case of a first offence to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds, and in the case of a second or any subsequent offence to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds.

(5) Where any firearms or ammunition are seized by a member of the Gárda Síochána under this section it shall be the duty of such member to notify the owner or the consignor or consignee (if and so far as their names and addresses are known to or can reasonably be ascertained by him) of such seizure.

(6) If it appears to the Minister that there was in respect of any firearms or ammunition seized under this section a contravention or attempted contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or of any regulations made thereunder such firearms or ammunition shall be forfeited to the Minister, and if it appears to the Minister that there was in respect of any such firearms or ammunition seized as aforesaid no such contravention or attempted contravention such firearms or ammunition shall be disposed of in accordance with the directions of the owner or consignor thereof, or, in default of such directions, shall be sold and the net proceeds of sale paid to the consignor.