Local Fianna Fáil Senator, Erin McGreehan, has welcomed Cabinet approval today to amend legislation in order to increase sentences for knife crime.

Cabinet approval comes after work done by Fianna Fáil Minister, James Browne, through the Anti-Social Behaviour Forum.

Senator McGreehan said: “Fianna Fáil in Government is working to tackle law and order as an absolute priority. We are seeing far too much knife crime on our streets across the country and there is a need for stronger sentencing to deter criminals.

“Fianna Fáil has long been working to tackle knife crime, as the current maximum sentences for serious knife crime related offences are not proportionate.

“The amended legislation will change the maximum penalty for these serious knife crime offences, clearly targeting persons who have a willingness and intent to use knives, to a 7-year maximum sentence.  The penalty for importing and selling knives and such weapons will increase from 7 to 10 years.

“My party colleague, Minister Browne, chaired the Anti-Social Behaviour Forum which recommended these proposals. It is continuing its work to make recommendations on tackling anti-social behaviour and helping local communities feel safe.”

In 2021, Fianna Fáil introduced the Firearms and Offensive Weapons (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to increase the maximum sentence that can be imposed for the possession of a knife to cause injury to, incapacitate or intimidate any person.

Senator McGreehan continued: “Fianna Fáil is serious about tackling knife crime. We have long believed a strengthening of our laws is required in order to protect our communities from people who carry and use knives. 

“It is welcome that action is now being taken three years after we introduced this amendment. Families and communities right across Ireland are being left devastated by the brutal nature of knife attacks. It has to stop.”

The Anti-Social Behaviour forum was established arising from a commitment in the Programme for Government in 2020 under the mission to build stronger and safer communities to:

The forum has since made a number of recommendations focused on offences under the Public Order Acts, but not related either to serious crime (such as drugs and organised crime) or low-level nuisances such as litter, graffiti etc. for which Gardaí do not have primary responsibility.

A subgroup of the Anti-Social Behaviour Forum was also established, focusing on Knife-Crime offences. Recommendations to strengthen legislative powers to tackle knife-crime have been agreed upon within the group following consultation with An Garda Síochána, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Irish Prison Service.

The subgroup’s recommendations are to increase the penalties of Sections 9(5), 10, 11, and 12 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990:

• Section 9(1): possession of a knife in a public place, to remain at a maximum penalty of 5 years.
• Section 9(5): possession with intent to unlawfully cause injury, to increase maximum penalty of 5 years to 7 years.
• Section 10: trespassing with a knife, weapon of offence or other article, to increase maximum penalty of 5 years to 7 years.
• Section 11: production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury (to unlawfully intimidate another person), to increase maximum penalty of 5 years to 7 years.
• Section 12: the manufacture, importation, sale, hire or loan of offensive weapons, to increase maximum penalty of 7 years to 10 years.
• The below table, provided by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of knives that have been seized in each of the last five years: