Usual Waiting Time...Dublin North?

goz83

Anyone know how long it usually takes to get licenses through my area? I'm in Dublin North. FCA1 went in 15 days ago. I know it can be 3 months and more, but if there is a "usual" waiting period in a district, I can follow up on it if the time exceeds that. Keen to get going.

Luckysasha

Have you started shooting at courtlough yet or are you waiting until your license comes through. Just wondering what the facilities are like and if your hooked on shooting yet !!

dodderangler

goz83 wrote: »

Anyone know how long it usually takes to get licenses through my area? I'm in Dublin North. FCA1 went in 15 days ago. I know it can be 3 months and more, but if there is a "usual" waiting period in a district, I can follow up on it if the time exceeds that. Keen to get going.

10weeks

cookimonster

Give us a clue as to which district in Dublin North.
Recent changes of FO in Coolock area has seen some serious waiting times compared to the previous occupant of the job. I've had new licenses issued quicker than the latest renewals are been processed.

There's lads out there with unlicensed firearms as renewals are not being processed in the three months period.

Your waiting for a new licence while I'm hoping my exsisting ones will just be renewed on time.

rsole1

amadablam wrote: »

Unfortunately it can be a lot longer than three months too. The clock starts ticking after you get your letter of acknowledgment and they are supposed to have a decision within three months. No harm in giving them a call after few weeks to make sure that it's being processed. Usually doesn't expedite things bit at least you will know that it's in the system.

A friend bought a rifle and put in a substitution on 14th December 2015, like for like, 22lr bolt action. I bought a rifle on 11th January 2016 on substitution like for like 22 lr bolt action, my licence arrived on 25th January 2016, my friend is still waiting. Both in Roscommon, so what do we conclude from this.

goz83

Luckysasha wrote: »

Have you started shooting at courtlough yet or are you waiting until your license comes through. Just wondering what the facilities are like and if your hooked on shooting yet !!

I'm hoping to get my guns transferred to Courtlough soon. So, i've to wait until then. Otherwise I will be practicing with their guns and I prefer the former.

cookimonster wrote: »

Give us a clue as to which district in Dublin North.
Recent changes of FO in Coolock area has seen some serious waiting times compared to the previous occupant of the job. I've had new licenses issued quicker than the latest renewals are been processed.

There's lads out there with unlicensed firearms as renewals are not being processed in the three months period.

Your waiting for a new licence while I'm hoping my existing ones will just be renewed on time.

Coolock is my station. I hope i'm not waiting long

I suppose I won't hold my breath.

Pkiernan

goz83 wrote: »

I'm hoping to get my guns transferred to Courtlough soon. So, i've to wait until then. Otherwise I will be practicing with their guns and I prefer the former.



Coolock is my station. I hope i'm not waiting long

I suppose I won't hold my breath.

Coolock is fine. I submitted a 22 application on Dec 8th in Swords.
Received acknowledgement on Jan 9th from Coolock.
Got approval a week later. Paid in Post Office and got licence the following week.
Total time approx 6 weeks.
No complaints here.

cookimonster

I wouldn't hold my breath, let's sum it up, I'm still waiting after 'x' months later for a sub, like for like, with no official acknowledgement. I can't go into details but I haven't been sitting back over the period. I have exhausted all the niceties and am awaiting the next 'move'. The time frame ment I missed the whole of the game season.
I am also one of the lads who have also had their license run out due to slow clerical practice.

So I would advise you to record every detail of your transactions in case you need to revisit them for any reason.

cookimonster

Pkiernan wrote: »

Coolock is fine. I submitted a 22 application on Dec 8th in Swords.
Received acknowledgement on Jan 9th from Coolock.
Got approval a week later. Paid in Post Office and got licence the following week.
Total time approx 6 weeks.
No complaints here.

Sorry but your wrong here, Coolock is your district HQ, where all the applications are processed by the super after your FO in Swords, has done the first part of the process - screening your application.
Even though the OP and myself are in the jurisdiction of the district HQ, our applications and paper work must be dealt with by the station FO before it goes onto the Super Intendants office via his clerk.
The problem lies with the speed at which the Coolock station FO is processing the paper work.

goz83

So, realistically, I shouldn't be waiting more than a month before I at least get an acknowlegement letter, should I?

cookimonster

goz83 wrote: »

So, realistically, I shouldn't be waiting more than a month before I at least get an acknowlegement letter, should I?

In theory yes, but how long is a piece of string. If the GS doing the paper work does everything they should then it may take a while, add into that the new shift pattern, court appearances, sick days or leave, the weeks can fairly roll by without anything been done.

According to the Commissioners guidelines to firearms licensing I should have had my sub done in approximately 14 days but here I am one season over and no gun for it.

As I said before I've had new applications processed and issued within a couple of weeks of application before this and to date none of my circumstances regarding firearms ownership has changed, these delays clearly lie within the first step of the process.

I hope for your sake, mine and others in the district this is just teething issues with the new FO and future business will run smoothly otherwise I know I will have the same headache next year with my other licenses.

chris20

Was 11 months waiting on a 22 between swords and coolock, FO in swords is shocking

chris20

Once I got a letter from coolock saying the application was received I was only waiting 5 days

SVI40

I've never had a new application processed in less than 6 months. This was in three different stations in DMR North.

goz83

Would there be any use in ringing the station to ask for a letter of confirmation that the application has been received?

I'm a tiny bit anxious, because when I went into the station, there was a lad I know, who is a friend of a friend, who was also there to see the FO. I only know this lad by name (met him about 3 times in my friends house over the course of about 10 years), but my friend said he had his firearms taken off him by the Gardai and licenses not renewed. He was asking me what I was going for, noticing the forms in my hand. Anyway, when he was leaving the station, he turned back to the FO and said "Oh and (insert my name) wants to talk to you". Now, I don't want to judge, but I hope the FO doesn't think i'm a friend of this lad if he had his firearms taken from him for any reason. I think he's a decent guy, but tbh, I don't know him beyond a friendly chat in a mates house.

hexosan

goz83 wrote: »

Would there be any use in ringing the station to ask for a letter of confirmation that the application has been received?

I'm a tiny bit anxious, because when I went into the station, there was a lad I know, who is a friend of a friend, who was also there to see the FO. I only know this lad by name (met him about 3 times in my friends house over the course of about 10 years), but my friend said he had his firearms taken off him by the Gardai and licenses not renewed. He was asking me what I was going for, noticing the forms in my hand. Anyway, when he was leaving the station, he turned back to the FO and said "Oh and (insert my name) wants to talk to you". Now, I don't want to judge, but I hope the FO doesn't think i'm a friend of this lad if he had his firearms taken from him for any reason. I think he's a decent guy, but tbh, I don't know him beyond a friendly chat in a mates house.

you'll have yourself worried into an early grave, sit back relax and wait your couple of weeks or months.

goz83

hexosan wrote: »

you'll have yourself worried into an early grave, sit back relax and wait your couple of weeks or months.

My understanding was that the FO would usually interview a first time applicant. Found it odd he didn't say more than the amount of rounds requested was high. Hopefully I hear back sooner rather than later. I'm itching to get out and shoot some bunnies

cookimonster

Jes, chill out, I know it's a waiting game, believe I have zero patience in waiting but it's only being tweenty odd days since you applied.

Remember, this is an add on to the Guards duties, so regular 'policing matters' will take precedence. Plus the fact that even if he has completed his side of the procedure it needs to go to the Supers' office via a clerk for the issue of the acknowledgement letter. The Coolock district deals with thousands of firearms paper work, so yours like mine will join a long list of applications, renewals and substitutions.

If you hear nought in a month or two from the time of the application, you may and politely contact the Guard or ring the Supers' office and one of the clerks will check to see if it's in the system.

goz83

"tiny bit anxious"....not climbing the walls or anything, but a whiskey is sounding good about now.

Couldn't resist ordering and receiving this in post yesterday :P

Cass

goz83 wrote: »

My understanding was that the FO would usually interview a first time applicant.

A technical point, but an important one non the less. The FO will not inteview you. S/he receives the application and can recommend for or against it, but at the end of the day its the Super that signs it so it'll be the Super that interviews you.

goz83 wrote: »

Couldn't resist ordering and receiving this in post yesterday :P

Nice.

goz83

Cass wrote: »

A technical point, but an important one non the less. The FO will not inteview you. S/he receives the application and can recommend for or against it, but at the end of the day its the Super that signs it so it'll be the Super that interviews you.


Nice.

So I had better brush up on those interview skills after all :pac:

Cheers for the clarification Cass.

goz83

Not that it matters much now, but do you have to apply at your local station? An old friend of mine is a Gard at a station in the town I work. If I had of been able to apply there, I might have been able to ask him to see the applications don't get left lying on someones desk, under a pile of other stuff.

I sent an email to coolock to ask about an acknowledgement letter, because it's been 8 weeks and I figure it's time to ask if anything has happened.

Cass

Yes. You must apply at your local station. Same if you move house, you must notify An Gardaí using the FCA2 of the change of address and then apply to the new local.

cookimonster

To the first part of your post, No, you must apply to your local station and it will be passed onto to the district HQ - where the Super Intendent is stationed for his part of the process. Your lucky in a way as Coolock is the district HQ.

As per my previous posts and being resident in the same district as yourself processing is very very very slow at the moment. After 5 months plus, I finally got one of my applications sorted, but I am still waiting for a few renewals to be processed months after their over due.

Ring the station on 016664281/2 this will get you onto the Supers office, but not the Super himself, ask if your paper work has been processed, if they have a copey on their desk, then happy days as it has passed through the hands of the FO in the station. If they don't then the Guard acting as the FO hasn't processed your paper work and or passed it on to the Supers office.
If your unsure of the Guards name then this is the time to get it and find out his shift pattern so you may arrange to talk to him.

Again best of luck and keep your cool, as compared to previous years it's like pulling teeth at the moment.

goz83

Cheers. I remember the name of the FO. I will wait a couple of days and then if I hear nothing, I'll phone the number to chase it up.

Curious, what happens in your case where the license expires and you had applied in time for the renewal? That's a serious enough situation to be in.

MarcinG

goz83 wrote: »

So, realistically, I shouldn't be waiting more than a month before I at least get an acknowlegement letter, should I?

I put my 2 c:
South Dublin. 22LR for varmint control (farm permission, safe installed, course finished etc. before made an application).
Applied at around mid August. Letter received 27th of August (stating max waiting time of 3 months). Mid November started to be a frequent guest (up to twice a day) at stations (depending on person met at the desk i should go to other station/come back later etc. etc. Every time was promised to receive a call "soon"). Finally received grant notice letter just before Christmas eve. On other hand i heard of people in Carlow getting whole thing done in less than a month.
Ps i have Garda clarence since 2006 or so (working in places where required). Hoped it will help but i don't think it did.

goz83

So I didn't hear anything and I rang yesterday. The lady who deals with the applications was off, so I rang just now and spoke to her. There is nothing on the system at all :mad:

She pulled up the email I sent to the station and said she would forward it to the FO. I expected it would be on the system at least. So 2 months gone and it seems not a thing has been done....or maybe it just seems that way. I just know I haven't heard anything and no reference calls have been made. So, the delay is at the first hurdle.

MarcinG

Same happened with me. On some stage someone told me that my request has lapsed....

goz83

I have received an email, signed by the super (or clerk), to say that my email will be forwarded onto the FO, which is something at least. A copy of my original email was pasted. Hopefully this moves things along.

cookimonster

goz83 wrote: »

...... I just know I haven't heard anything and no reference calls have been made. So, the delay is at the first hurdle.

This is the issue, the paper work is not been processed in the appropriate time, once it is passed onto the office then it is been dealt with in the proper and timely fashion.

tomtucker81

Big headache here in the coolock area with the new FO.
I even met the old FO (now retired) in the shops and he said he was getting phone calls off lads wondering what was going on. Obviously he had to explain that he had retired and there was a new man in charge.

I renewed my rimfire rifle last year before he retired. New cert out to me in 2 weeks.
Last November I applied to renew my sxs (to new FO), the cert arrived start of March. The old licence expired at the start of December so I was without licence for 3 months.

Centre fire is up in a months time....I should drop it in immediately I suppose!