Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 136: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of firearms and knives surrendered under the recent amnesty; if he is satisfied regarding the number of items surrendered; the steps which were taken to promote public knowledge of the amnesty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30634/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am informed by An Garda Síochána that in the first three weeks of the Weapons Amnesty, which commenced on the 1st September, 2006, 101 guns, 26 knives and 14 assorted offensive weapons were handed in to Garda stations throughout the country. In addition, a quantity of ammunition has also been surrendered. The amnesty runs for a period of 2 months, from 1st September to 31st October, 2006, and I am confident that many more weapons will be surrendered to the Gardaí before the amnesty ends.

My Department has engaged in an extensive advertising campaign to promote the amnesty. This includes the production of 20,000 information leaflets for distribution through Garda stations throughout the country, a media advertising campaign in the national and provincial newspapers together with an extensive billboard advertising campaign. The media advertising campaign will run for the duration of the amnesty and this campaign will be augmented in the latter stage with a nationwide billboard advertising campaign, involving over 200 sites throughout the country, which will run from the 9th October to the 22nd October.