Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Bill proposes to amend a number of Acts to facilitate some of the following changes: increase the fine payable by carriers where they allow a person to board a flight or ferry destined for the State without the proper documentation and amend the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 to increase the maximum penalties applicable on conviction on indictment for four knife-related offences in the Act. These amendments aim to increase the maximum penalties upon the conviction on indictment for four knife-related offences. These offences include possession in a public place of an article intended to cause injury, trespass with a knife or another weapon, production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury, and the manufacture, sale, hire or loan of offensive weapons. These offences can be dealt with either summarily or on indictment, depending on the seriousness of the offence. The proposed amendments only increase the penalties on the indictment, thus targeting more serious forms of knife crime. This move is seen as a crucial step in addressing the growing concern over knife-related crimes and could have a deterrent effect, potentially, in reducing the prevalence of such crimes for those charged with these offences. The stakes would be higher, particularly for more serious offences that are dealt with on indictment. This could lead to longer sentences for those convicted, reflecting the seriousness of the crime.

While we are talking about justice and crime, I must raise an issue. We have recently seen the Stardust families suffer for so many years without getting justice and without the crimes which were carried out being admitted. I must raise again the issue of Whiddy Island. I will continue to raise this on behalf of the people who perished that night way back on 8 January 1979. Let us not forget that over 45 years ago, the lives of more than 50 people were lost that night with only 27 bodies being recovered. This has been described as the "Fire In The Sky" by an RTÉ documentary. I have spoken to many family members and people who were only six years' old on that terrible night. The six-year-old I spoke to, who is now in her 50s, remembers well looking out onto Whiddy Island that night and thinking that the world was ending. For some people, the world did end that night but they have had no justice. We talk about justice in this Dáil and about rights and we gave the Stardust families justice but how many years did they beg for that justice before they got it? The Whiddy Island families are asking for the same justice and respect and the State is leading into a cover-up situation where it continuously refuses that. For 45 years the families are looking for that justice for the Whiddy Island victims. I have to praise Michael Kingston who is a staunch advocate for all of those family members. I asked the Minister, and I have asked the Taoiseach and the previous Taoiseach to look at this issue, to come forward, to admit that mistakes were made and to try to work towards a solution.

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