Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The WHO figures refer to a cohort of people aged between 19 and 35. A substantial number of people in that cohort who were killed during the period in question were killed not as a result of knife crime, but as a result of gangland crime. It is wrong to say this has nothing to do with gangland crime.

Concerning knife crime, when I became Minister, we looked very closely at the epidemic of knife crime which was taking place in the UK and as a result I introduced legislation that increased the relevant penalty from one year to five years in the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. In addition, I sat down with the Garda Síochána and as a result it brought forward a substantial knife awareness campaign directed at that type of person who is likely to bring a knife out at night.

I accept fully what the Deputy said regarding certain geographic areas of Dublin and around the country. However, much work has been done by the Garda in youth diversion projects in those areas to try to assist young people and prevent them getting into crime.

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