Weapons amnesty yields 30 items in first days

The first 10 days of the Government's firearms and offensive weapons amnesty has resulted in 30 weapons being surrendered, according to figures released by the Department of Justice.

The items include a musket and a theatre pistol used on stage by actors. Among the other weapons are two starting pistols, two air pistols, two air rifles, two pellet guns and a stun gun.

One grenade and four knives have also been given in at Garda stations. The Irish Times understands the grenade dated to the first World War but was still live. It was surrendered in Cork where gardaí called in Army bomb disposal experts to make it safe.

The most common weapon surrendered has been shotguns, with six handed in. Four rifles, three revolvers and a stun gun have also been produced under the amnesty, which began on September 1st. The figures released last night relate to the first 10 days. The amnesty will continue until the end of next month.

A spokeswoman for Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said it was never envisaged a "huge amount" of weapons would be handed in. "It was designed so that people who, through the passage of time, found themselves with an illegally held weapon could hand it over before mandatory sentencing comes into effect at the end of next month. It was designed to give innocent people an opportunity to regularise their positions."

The spokeswoman added that Mr McDowell had consistently said he did not expect armed gangs to hand over their weapons under the amnesty.

When it ends on October 31st, a new set of laws relating to firearms offences comes into effect under the Criminal Justice Act 2006. Imprisonment of between five and 10 years will apply.

Such offences will include possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances, or with criminal intent, or with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, or while hijacking a vehicle, or use or production of a firearm to resist arrest.

While people surrendering illegally held guns will escape prosecution for not having a licence, the amnesty does not offer immunity from prosecution for more serious gun crime.

Each weapon handed in at a Garda station will be examined by ballistics experts. If it has been used in the commission of a crime, the person who surrendered it will face questioning about the gun's history and possible criminal prosecution.

Weapons can be surrendered at any Garda station. Some were collected from owners by gardaí.