Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Deputy O'Callaghan and his Fianna Fáil colleagues on bringing this important Bill before the House.

First, we must look at the people in control of law and order, namely, the gardaí. No member of the Garda or, for that matter, anyone else should ever have to be faced with a person in possession of a knife, whether for threatening purposes or menacing purposes, or for wanting to do harm to another person. Therefore, the law on the carrying of knives should be tightened up.

The one area I would be careful of and of which Deputy O'Callaghan is acutely aware, as are all his Fianna Fáil colleagues and all of us supporting this, is that there are categories of person who must have a knife in their pocket when they do their work. The Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, will be aware of this. In making legislation, we must be acutely aware of that. I would go so far as to say that there are persons for whom, if they did not have a knife in their pocket when they needed it, it could result in serious harm being done to themselves. They may need to take out a knife to cut a rope holding a gate where there was problem. At home at the weekends, one would not be without a knife in one's pocket.

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