Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1935. 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 five years, and to date in 2025. [41131/25]

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 five to seven years of 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 years 2020 to 2024 by Garda division.

The further table below, provided by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of knives that have been seized in 2025 as of 30 June 2025 according to the new Garda Region/Division breakdown.