East Galway TD Anne Rabbitte has welcomed longer sentencing plans for serious knife crimes convictions like possession with intent to cause injury, and the import and sale of knives.
“My party colleague, Minister James 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,” said Deputy Rabbitte, minister of state in the Department of Health.
Also crediting the work of Fianna Fáil’s James Browne, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee explained that the current sentencing is not proportionate for such a serious crime.
“There is a difference between carrying a knife and carrying with intent. The current maximum sentence for serious offences - possession of a knife with intent to unlawfully cause injury, trespassing with a knife, and producing a knife to unlawfully intimidate another person - do not appear to be proportionate when compared with simple possession of a knife, and yet they carry the same maximum sentence of five years.”
“That is why we are changing the maximum penalty for these serious knife crime offences, clearly targeting persons who have a willingness and intent to use knives, to a seven-year maximum sentence. We are also increasing the penalty for importing and selling knives and such weapons from seven to 10 years.
“This sentence increase is in-line with other recent increases I have made, including doubling the maximum sentence for assault causing harm and increasing the maximum sentence for conspiracy to murder to life.”
Welcomed news
Rabbitte highlighted Fianna Fáil’s introduction of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons (Amendment ) Bill in 2021, 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.
“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,” said Rabbitte.
“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.”
