Written answers

Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Department of Justice and Equality

An Garda Síochána

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

566. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons charged with knife crimes in 2019, 2020 and 2021, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6128/22]

Photo of James BrowneJames Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

567. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons convicted of knife crimes in 2019, 2020 and 2021, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6129/22]

Photo of James BrowneJames Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will appreciate, there is no singular offence of 'knife crime' and it is therefore not possible to provide average sentences as requested. It should be noted that, where a more serious offence is committed and a knife is used in the commission of that offence (for example, assault or murder), that the charge brought forward will usually be for the more serious offence, and not solely possession of a weapon.

For the Deputy's information, however, I have contacted the Courts Service for information on the number of persons convicted of possession of a knife or other article contrary to Section 9(1) and 9(4) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 (as amended).

I have been advised by the Courts Service that Courts can only provide data in relation to where offence codes provided on the system were used by prosecutors. Prosecutors may have used uncoded free text offences and any such offences would not be included in the data provided.

It should also be noted that more serious instances of offences in relation to section 9(1) or 9(4) may have been sent forward for trial to the Circuit Court. At this time, the system in use by the Courts Service in the Circuit Courts, the ICMS, cannot produce reports for specific offences. Therefore figures from the Circuit Courts are excluded from the information provided, which only relate to the District Court.

A person may be convicted for both offences and will appear more than once on the report.

For Court Areas absent from the report, this should be read as a zero value for that Court Area.

The no. of persons convicted for Possession of Knives & other Articles under Section 9(1) Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990

COURT AREA
2019
2020
2021
ARDEE 0 0 2
ARKLOW 1 1 1
ATHLONE 3 3 3
ATHY 1 2 1
BALLINA 2 0 0
BALLINASLOE 1 3 2
BALLYSHANNON 0 0 1
BANDON 2 3 2
BANTRY 0 1 1
BRAY 7 8 4
CARLOW 4 6 6
CARNDONAGH 0 1 0
CARRICK ON SHANNON 3 0 1
CARRICK ON SUIR 1 0 0
CARRICKMACROSS 4 1 0
CASHEL 0 2 0
CASTLEBAR 2 1 2
CASTLEREA 2 3 0
CAVAN 3 6 7
CLONAKILTY 4 2 1
CLONMEL 5 4 2
CORK CITY 80 61 63
DOIRE AN FHEICH 1 1 1
DONEGAL 0 1 0
DROGHEDA 5 1 2
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT 228 145 205
DUNDALK 4 7 10
DUNGARVAN 1 1 3
ENNIS 10 13 3
FERMOY 1 3 3
GALWAY 16 19 15
GOREY 2 1 0
GORT 0 0 1
KENMARE 1 0 0
KILKENNY 3 4 10
KILLALOE 0 0 1
KILLARNEY 3 2 5
LETTERKENNY 2 4 10
LIMERICK 20 25 17
LISTOWEL 3 0 1
LONGFORD 6 12 7
LOUGHREA 0 4 1
MALLOW 2 4 1
MEATH 8 9 6
MIDLETON 3 2 9
MONAGHAN 2 1 1
MULLINGAR 5 8 3
NAAS 10 4 5
NENAGH 0 5 5
NEWCASTLE WEST 2 2 2
PORTLAOISE 7 4 8
ROSCOMMON 1 0 2
SKIBBEREEN 0 0 1
SLIGO 2 7 5
THURLES 1 0 1
TIPPERARY 1 0 1
TRALEE 13 12 6
TUAM 1 1 4
TULLAMORE 4 3 1
VIRGINIA 2 5 2
WATERFORD CITY 18 8 8
WEXFORD 3 7 5
WICKLOW 2 3 4
YOUGHAL 0 1 1
Total 518 437 475
The no of persons convicted for Possession of Flick-Knife. Section 9(4) Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.
The no of persons convicted for Possession of Flick-Knife. Section 9(4) Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.


COURT AREA
2019
2020
2021
ATHLONE 3 1 0
ATHY 0 1 0
BALLINA 0 0 1
BRAY 0 0 1
CARLOW 2 2 1
CARRICK ON SHANNON 0 0 1
CAVAN 0 0 1
CLONAKILTY 1 1 0
CORK CITY 3 6 5
DONEGAL 1 0 0
DROGHEDA 2 0 1
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT 20 12 23
ENNIS 2 1 2
FERMOY 1 0 0
GALWAY 1 0 2
GORT 1 0 0
KILLARNEY 1 0 0
KILKENNY 0 0 3
LETTERKENNY 1 0 0
LIMERICK 3 1 1
LONGFORD 2 5 3
LOUGHREA 0 1 0
MALLOW 0 1 3
MEATH 1 1 4
MIDLETON 1 0 0
MONAGHAN 1 0 0
MULLINGAR 1 4 1
NAAS 0 0 1
NENAGH 0 1 1
NEWCASTLE WEST 2 1 1
PORTLAOISE 1 1 2
SLIGO 0 1 0
TIPPERARY 0 0 1
TRALEE 2 0 3
TULLAMORE 0 0 1
VIRGINIA 0 0 1
WATERFORD CITY 2 0 1
WEXFORD 2 0 1
Total 57 41 66

For the Deputy's information, the Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at: .

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

568. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of knives seized in 2019, 2020 and 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6130/22]

Photo of James BrowneJames Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, the Government shares the public concern arising from serious crimes involving knives in recent months and years. We are all conscious of the very serious impact which violent crime has on victims and families, particularly attacks of a random nature. I condemn such crimes in the strongest possible terms.

In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, I have established an Expert Forum on Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB). The Forum is examining a broad range of issues with a focus on developing measures which will counteract the negative impact of ASB on community morale and quality of life. This has included two subgroups established to consider the specific issues of knife crime and the misuse of scramblers and quadbikes. Other subgroups may be established to tackle additional specific issues as required.

The knife crime subgroup is assessing available evidence to inform policy on knife crime, with particular reference to effectiveness of proposals, to inform both legislation and community safety policies, programmes and practices. The work of this subgroup is ongoing and is expected to conclude in the coming months.

My Department is also currently looking at data sources to improve data quality in this area. Officials are engaging with public health colleagues, as well as An Garda Síochána, to improve our understanding of the level of violent assaults within our society.

Crime of any sort is not a phenomenon that exists in isolation. It is inevitably connected to significant and often complex underlying factors. Information provided by An Garda Síochána notes that knife-related crime trends should also be viewed in the context of the pandemic and the associated general decrease in criminality, but also the successful number of proactive seizures and interventions by Gardaí. Increases in seizures may be due to proactive policing operations, particularly during 2020, with the increased Garda presence in support of the COVID-19 public health measures.

There was also a substantial year-on-year increase in the number of searches conducted in 2020, many of which were associated with An Garda Síochána’s high visibility operations supporting the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated Garda operations (such as Operation Fanacht).

An Garda Síochána is currently operating an Assault Reduction Strategy, which includes assaults with offensive weapons, and the 'Use Your Brain Not Your Fists' campaign, highlighting the dangers and consequences of assaults to not only the victims, but to perpetrators as well.

To be of assistance to the Deputy, I have contacted the Garda Authorities for the information requested and I have been advised that for the years in question the number of knives seized by An Garda Síochána are as follows:

Year 2019 2020 2021
Count of Knives Seized 2,145 2,253 1,818

Figures were collated based on PULSE data as of 1:30am on 2 February 2022. They are operational and may be liable to change.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.