Devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly on December 2, 1999 was the culmination of a long and difficult period in the province's history and heralded an intensive period of political activity. As history relates, the Secretary of State was to suspend the Assembly due to the crisis over decommissioning.

The principal concern during the year was the draft Firearms Order to amend Northern Ireland's firearms legislation and to introduce the requirement for a mandatory test of competence prior to the grant of a firearms licence. A firearms licence in Northern Ireland includes what are known elsewhere in the UK as Section 1 firearms, shotguns and airweapons. We are opposed to such a measure.

Our good working relations with both the Northern Ireland Forest Service and the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) led to the acquisition of shooting rights on 562 acres of internationally important habitat for wildfowl at Ballyscullion Park on the western shore of Lough Beg. The purchase was made possible by substantial grants from the Wildlife Habitat Charitable Trust and the EHS through the (then) Environment t Minister, Lord Dubs.