Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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718. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of knives seized by Gardaí in each county in the State in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [17136/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I strongly condemn the use of knives to threaten, intimidate or harm others. I am committed to ensuring that communities are safe and tackling knife crime is an important element of that.

There are no quick-fix solutions to tackling knife crime. Long term, evidence-based strategies are needed that address knife crime as part of a wider strategic response to anti-social behaviour, street violence, youth offending and domestic violence.

There is, however, a comprehensive and robust legal framework in place in Ireland with respect to knife crime. Last year, legislation was introduced which increased the maximum penalty for the offences of possession of a knife with intent to cause injury, trespassing with a knife, and producing a knife to unlawfully intimidate another person, from 5 to 7 years imprisonment.

In addition, the Government doubled the maximum penalty for assault causing harm to 10 years in 2023 The offence of assault causing serious harm already has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The below table, provided by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of knives that have been seized in each of the last ten years according to each Garda region/ division:

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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719. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of cash, and economic value of assets, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [17137/25]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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720. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount returned to the exchequer by the Criminal Assets Bureau in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [17138/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 719 and 720 together.

Eradicating organised crime is central to building safer, stronger communities. I am committed to that goal, and strengthening and expanding the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is an important element of this. It is essential to deprive criminals of the proceeds of crime.

CAB is a multi-agency statutory body established under the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996. The Bureau’s remit is to target a person's assets, wherever situated, which derive, or are suspected to derive, directly or indirectly, from criminal conduct. The Chief Bureau Officer is responsible to the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána for the administration and business of the Criminal Assets Bureau. As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in these functions.

I am advised by CAB that the table below sets out the amount of cash and other financial assets frozen (such as cryptocurrency) and economic value of assets for the period 2014 - 2023. The figures in respect of jewellery, property, vehicles, designer goods, livestock and other are based on the estimated value placed by the Bureau on the asset at the time of making the application under section 2(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996. It is important to note that following the completion of investigations and hearings, all assets listed may not equate in returns to the Exchequer.

The figures for 2024 and 2025 are not yet available and will be published in their respective annual reports.

The table below provided by CAB outlines the value of returns to the Exchequer for the period 2014 - 2023.

The figures for 2024 and 2025 are unavailable pending the publication of the respective annual reports for those years.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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721. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times Gardaí have been called to incidents involving people entering or seeking to enter the river Corrib in Galway City in each of the last ten years, in tabular form. [17139/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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722. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times Gardaí have been called to incidents involving people entering or seeking to enter the river Shannon in Limerick city in each of the last ten years, in tabular form. [17140/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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723. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times Gardaí have been called to incidents involving people entering or seeking to enter the river Liffey in Dublin city in each of the last ten years, in tabular form. [17141/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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724. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons arrested for fraud offences in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2025. [17142/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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725. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of family pets reported stolen in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2025. [17143/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Garda authorities that the information requested is not recorded in a structured field in the PULSE system. As a result of this, An Garda Síochána are not in a position to provide this information. A disproportionately large amount of time would be required to fulfil the request and they would not be confident in the accuracy of data compiled.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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726. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí who have been assaulted while on active duty in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2025. [17144/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.