GARDAI will be seeking to establish how the three rifles and hand gun recovered at the end of the two day siege in Cavan came into the Republic.
This State has probably the tightest gun control laws in Europe, prohibiting the possession of all handguns by the public and tightly restricting the use of sporting rifles and shotguns.
While it would be legally possible in Germany to possess the weapons found in the Bawnboy cottage or, until gun laws were tightened last October, in Britain, it is strictly illegal here.
Partly in response to the spread of terrorism in the 1970s and because of the desire to restrict the availability of firearms, the State introduced strict controls in the mid 1970s.
The Firearms Act and Wildlife Act imposed restrictions on the possession and use of firearms in 1976.
The threat of a firearm falling into the hands of a deranged person is provided for in the legislation. A Garda superintendent is entitled to ensure that no person of "unsound mind" or "intemperate habits" is allowed to possess a gun or gun licence.
Firearms licences should also be denied to any person who "has no good reason for requiring the firearm".
There are tight restrictions on rifles. No automatic rifles are allowed. Only the lowest calibre, the .22 rifle, used for killing vermin is allowed under normal licensing. Special licences for heavier calibre rifles are granted, under strict conditions, for shooting deer.
The Act forbids the possession of automatic shotguns capable of carrying more than three cartridges, and shotgun barrels cannot be less than 24 inches long. This precludes the possession of automatic assault shotguns.
In the North some 10 per cent of the 13,000 legally held weapons are handguns, including many automatic, high powered models.
The principal source of concern in this State remains that a deranged person can gain access to a weapon and create mayhem. However, the restrictions on firearms almost ensures that loss of life or injury from legally held firearms should be less than in other countries.