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

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate.

Clearly, I agree with some of the points that are being discussed relating to the firearms and offensive weapons and increasing of the maximum penalties for carrying knives. This situation has to be addressed because every second day when we listen to the news, someone has been stabbed or knifed again in Dublin and indeed in different parts of the country. It is sad that there are no checks. Checks should be carried out. Knives are made of steel too and the gardaí could have devices that could pick up steel in people's pockets, or whatever, without much effort. That should be checked to ensure that we do something to increase the penalties because this is very serious where many people have lost their lives.

On the notion that the Government is to increase the fine payable by carriers where they have allowed a person to board a flight or ferry destined for the State without the proper documentation; I cannot really understand this because in the first place on the few times I went to America to visit my extended family, I got a severe checking in Shannon Airport by the US immigration officials. Certainly, I would not have been let on board any flight there. In fact, I was held up on one occasion because I had a new passport and I nearly missed the plane. I cannot understand that and the question I am asking the Minister is: do we have immigration and customs officials in all of the airports where people are coming directly to Ireland? I cannot see that we will get much satisfaction out of carriers, such as Michael O'Leary, for instance. What satisfaction will the Government get from him because a lot of these people are coming without any documentation?

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