Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There must be a multifaceted response to knife crime. One of the responses has to be ensuring that we have greater numbers of gardaí on the streets to seize knives. Last year, over 2,100 knives were seized by An Garda Síochána. That is part of the solution.

Another part has to be powers for An Garda Síochána in order that gardaí can stop and search people so that they can seize knives from them if they suspect they are carrying knives. The Deputy will be aware of the Garda powers Bill, the heads of which were published last year. I will bring that legislation forward to this House. I hope Deputy Carthy and Sinn Féin will support that legislation and that all members of the Opposition will support it. It is clear we need a strong, clear statutory basis in order for gardaí to seize knives which we all admit are a dangerous threat to people in our community.

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