Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 520: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the age below which it is illegal to either purchase or possess a flick knife or other offensive weapons; and his proposals to increase that age. [20869/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990 and the Offensive Weapons Order 1991 govern the control of flick knives and offensive weapons. Under the 1990 Act, flick knives and specified offensive weapons are prohibited and it is an offence for any person, irrespective of age, to manufacture, import, sell, hire or loan such weapons. In addition, the 1990 Act, makes it an offence for any person, irrespective of age, to: possess any knife or any or any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed in any public place, without good reason or lawful authority; trespass with a knife or any article made for causing injury to or incapacitating a person, and produce any article, capable of inflicting serious injury, in a manner likely to intimidate another person in the course of committing an offence or appearing to be about to commit an offence or in the course of a dispute or fight. Any person found guilty of such offences is liable on conviction to a fine of up to €1,270 or imprisonment for a term of up to five years or both.