Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response. One issue which has come up in the past few days is the investigation time for knife crime. I believe it is only 24 hours as opposed to a week if there was a firearm involved. Gardaí have said to me that that would be something that might help.

I am also interested in the work that is happening on the community safety partnerships, the Minister’s expert forum on antisocial behaviour, and her subgroup on knife crime with regard to what the next steps are. I am looking to places like Scotland, which treats violence and knife crime like a public health issue and which looks at the underlying issues. I do not believe we are in the same space. This is about early intervention and prevention but at the moment knife crime is increasing. It has increased by 78% over seven years, although I know we have got better at detecting it.

In 2018, 16% of people who were suspected offenders in knife crimes were under 18. The Minister is, rightly, ensuring this is on the agenda. What is coming next in respect of the community safety partnerships?