Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I echo the comments of Senator Brian Hayes in calling for a debate on the knife culture. I wanted to clarify a point I made yesterday morning. While I was aware that legislation exists here, legislation on the carrying of knives also exists in Britain. However, it is now considered necessary to open up the debate and see the knife in the same context as a gun, as it is a weapon with which people are being killed. People do not carry knives unless they intend to use them. Young people now discuss among themselves the effectiveness of one knife over another and on what part of the body a wound should be inflicted. This is exceptionally serious. Yesterday morning I specifically referred to sentencing, on which we should have a debate. For instance, would the child involved in that stabbing incident have even though of it unless it had been part of a culture to which that child was exposed?

I take up the point made by Senator Ryan on Seanad reform, which was discussed here in recent days. Some time before any discussion of a peace process, we talked about trying to ensure that at some stage if the peace process moved forward we would have the opportunity to give representation to those from the North of Ireland. I do not believe this has anything to do with a personal agenda of the Taoiseach. However, it is symbolic of the progress we have made in this country that we could even think about having that kind of unity of minds, unity of purpose and unity of debate. I would not like that to be sullied in any way and it is important that we keep it centre stage. On the day every political view in Northern Ireland is represented in this House, we will have truly copperfastened the peace process. I look forward to that day.