Shooting organisations in Northern Ireland link up with counterparts in RoI

In a groundbreaking move, the main shooting and country sports organisations from Northern Ireland have linked up with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland to share expertise and experience on firearms-related issues.

The Northern Ireland Firearms Representative Group (NIFRG), recently met with their counterpart in the south, the Firearms Users Representative Group (FURG), during which both organisations committed to an ongoing process of cooperation and engagement.

The two organisations have agreed to meet face to face annually, and hold online meetings at least twice a year, or more frequently if issues crop up that require a co-ordinated response.

The NIFRG, comprising ten shooting and countryside organisations, was formed in May 2021 in response to deep-rooted concerns regarding the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Firearms and Explosive’s Branch. The group is chaired by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, with the secretariat provided by Country Sports Ireland.

The Firearms Users Representative Group consists of 15 organisations and was formed in July 2022 to coordinate the shooting communities’ response to draconian proposals emanating from the Irish government’s Firearms Expert Committee. The group is chaired by the National Association of Regional Game Councils, with the secretariat provided by the Deer Alliance.

Some organisations operate on an all-Ireland basis and are therefore members of both the NIFRG and the FURG, bringing the total number of organisations represented to 23.

Speaking after the meeting, an NIFRG spokesperson said: “We welcome and appreciate the opportunity to meet with the FURG in the Republic, to share our considerable expertise and experience. We have witnessed firsthand the benefits of multiple organisations coming and working closely together under the NIFRG umbrella to help drive policy change and successfully oppose unnecessary restrictions that were not evidence based.”

A FURG spokesperson said: “We welcome the opportunity to host the NIFRG and we regard this meeting as a major first step in developing a strong mutually beneficial partnership that will allow us to harness the power of our collective membership base, to robustly meet the many challenges that lie ahead in both jurisdictions.”