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

I am glad to get the opportunity to talk on this important Bill. I compliment Deputy O'Callaghan on bringing it forward. We hear every day of knife crime and it is on the increase. We have to ask ourselves why. Many believe that it is because of drugs and that it is used by these villains who supply and are in command of drugs and who are destroying our communities. We hear so much of it every day. I know it will be difficult for the Garda to apprehend these fellows. I believe now it is coming close to the time when the gardaí themselves have to be armed because the criminals going around now are getting more serious and are more dangerous. There seems to be more of them. In that regard, we must have ways of dealing with them and, when these fellows are apprehended, it should not be deemed to be a minor offence if they are found with dangerous knives. I was listening to the previous speakers about fellows having knives and I can tell them that my father always carried a pen knife that was certainly well edged and if he gave it to one of us he would be looking for it back. I can honestly say that for most of the time he was here he had a small pen knife in his coat pocket because he was used to having it, and would have had it at all times in his pocket. To go back to the serious aspect of knife crime, there is more of it and it is timely that we do something about it. We all support Deputy O'Callaghan's Bill and hope good will come of it because we need to protect our citizens; that is one of the reasons we are here.

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