MEMBERS OF THE Irish Gun Traders Association are set to mount a demonstration outside garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, today.

They are due to protest regulations on sporting guns, and what they view as a lack of consultation on the matter.

Speaking ahead of the protest, which is due to take place at 10.30am, a spokesperson for the group said certain regulations are driving legitimate gun dealers out of business.

“We accept that controls on the sale of guns, even for sporting purposes, is necessary, but the introduction of recent regulations are such that they are further driving legitimate, law-abiding dealers out of business.”

The spokesperson called for greater consultation between the government and traders prior to regulations being introduced.

When asked about gun storage regulations in the Dáil in March, Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality David Stanton said the new rules “recognise that firearms dealers are entitled to be in possession of large quantities of firearms but require them to conduct business from a premises that has been constructed to a high standard”.

He said the regulations in question “recognise the different categories of firearms dealers and scales the requirements depending on the quantities of ammunition and firearms being stored”.

Stanton added that the regulations were developed following consultation with a sub-group of the Firearms Consultative Panel, which consisted of registered firearms dealers.

A spokesperson said the Department of Justice would not be commenting on the protest.