Kildare Knife Seizures Hit 516 In 10 Years: Catherine Murphy TD Urges National Action

Discussions will take place today to examine increasing sentencing for serious knife offences from five to seven years.

The number of knives seized are just a fraction of those that are carried.

That's according to Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy.

Deputy Murphy made the comments as Ministers are expected to meet today to examine the introduction of tougher sentences for knife crime.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee will bring proposals to increase the maximum sentence for serious knife offences from five to seven years.

Murphy said we need a multifaceted strategy to tackle knife crime. She advocated for a comprehensive approach incorporating community and youth engagement alongside appropriate penalties.

Despite acknowledging existing stringent measures, Murphy highlighted their insufficient impact on the issue, citing the successful implementation of a knife amnesty in Scotland as a successful model.

“A knife amnesty, which was very successful in Scotland, could also be considered here. Using this model to remove knives from circulation is a good starting point for de-escalation. There should also be engagement by youth workers with young people who present at hospitals with stab injuries to address this problem in the longer-term," she said.

She added: “Sanctions on their own won’t work. There are already significant deterrents in place for knife crime, including the threat of imprisonment, but these do not seem to have addressed the worrying trend we have seen over the past decade.”

Over 500 knives were seized by gardaí in Kildare in the past 10 years, it has emerged.

Figures obtained from Garda Divisions reveal a troubling rise in knife seizures within the county.

 In 2023, the region witnessed 60 knife seizures, marking a significant increase from previous years.

Since 2010, 516 knives have been seized.

With figures available up to March 20th, 2024, Kildare has already recorded 16 knife seizures.

The number of knife seizures nationally over the last 10 years amounts to almost 20,000.

Almost half of those seizures took place in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

Commenting on the issue, Taoiseach Simon Harris says he wants to make our streets safer.