Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

There is a campaign in Britain to stop young people carrying knives, which should be treated as offensive weapons. In the course of the campaign it was pointed out that more people are killed by knives than by guns yet the possession of a gun carries a stiff penalty. We must take the same view of knives because someone who goes out at night carrying a knife intends to use it. Knives have been used in different types of crime, for example, in theft when people have lost their lives, crimes of passion and so on. Such a course of action would send out a message to those who consider carrying a knife as a weapon they can use at a whim. We could discuss this with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. A knife in this context is no different from a gun and should be treated accordingly.