Republic of Ireland

National legal authority

- Control of Exports Act, 1983
- Control of Exports Order, 2000 (S.I. No. 3000 of 2000 21 September 2000)
- Customs Act, 1956

- OSCE Criteria on conventional arms exports.
- The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.
- EU Code of Conduct on Conventional Arms Exports.

Control lists

A schedule of goods which may not be exported without a licence is attached to the Control of Exports Order, 2000. The export of software or technology, which is required for the development, production or use of the goods listed in the Order, is also subject to export licensing requirements.

Licensing procedures

The Minister may, after consultation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, by order prohibit, subject to such exceptions, if any, as he may think proper, the exportation of goods of any specified description to a specified destination, save under and in accordance with a licence.

The Minister may attach to a licence such conditions as he may think proper and specifies in the licence.

(a) any goods exported by the Permanent Defence Forces, or the Garda Siochana -

(i) for use by an International United Nations Force in the course of its duties as such,

(ii) for the purposes of their being repaired, overhauled, refitted, modified, tested or maintained, and returned to the State,

(iii) for the purposes of their being used at international military competitions, or

(iv) for the purposes of the testing of munitions,

(b) exports to other Member States of the European Communities of -

(i) rifles, carbines, shotguns and other smoothbore weapons and crossbows and component parts thereof,

(ii) silencers, telescopic sights and component parts thereof, or

(iii) ammunition for firearms specified in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph,

(c) exports of privately owned rifles, carbines, shotguns and other smoothbore weapons and crossbows, legally imported for a period of not more than 6 months by persons resident outside the European Communities, and ammunition therefor not exceeding the amount shown on the document authorising their importation, or

(d) exports of rifles, carbines, shotguns and other smoothbore weapons, crossbows and ammunition therefor, which are held by residents on foot of firearm certificates and which are being exported outside the European Communities for use by their owners during a visit of not more than 6 months.

 Military goods require an individual export licence usually valid for 12 months. A licence may cover several consignments of a specific good to the consignee/end-user specified on the licence.

 A fine not exceeding 10,000 pounds or three times the value of the goods, whichever is the greater, and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years may be imposed for a breach of the Control of Exports Act, 1983. This penalty may be applied in cases where false or misleading information was provided for the purpose of obtaining an export licence.

A fine not exceeding 100 pounds or three times the value of the goods may be imposed under the Customs Act of 1956 if dual-use or military goods are exported without a licence.