The Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Matt Carthy TD, has said that there is an urgent need for a proactive strategy approach to prevent a culture of knife carrying from taking hold.
The Sinn Féin Justice Spokesperson said that such a strategy must include greater resourcing of early preventative interventions as well as a strong policing response to those who carry knives.
Deputy Carthy said told Northern Sound: "In recent weeks we have seen deadly consequences of knife crime. It is clear that we now must work together to deliver an urgent and proactive strategy to prevent a culture of knife carrying from taking hold. We have seen internationally how states that fail to address this issue head-on face inter-generational implications.
"Across the board there needs to be a greater focus on crime prevention as well as action to reduce the rates of re-offending which are unacceptably high. Key to that is intervention to prevent young people from becoming involved in criminality and anti-social behaviour.
"Right now, too many young people are becoming involved in crime and too many are reoffending. Years of underinvestment in communities, in youth facilities, in tackling deprivation and in youth diversion have had a detrimental impact, as has the failure to properly resource addiction and mental health services.
"It is clear that greater efforts are needed in crime prevention, including measures to stop young people from being drawn into criminal activity. This is particularly important in dealing with the carrying of knives. That requires investment in communities as well as significant increases in supports for youth diversion services. There also needs to be an increase in the number of community Gardaí who play a vital role in building relationships with communities and preventing young people becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour. The fact that there are fewer community Gardaí now than when Fine Gael entered government in 2021 is a scandal.
"A culture of carrying knives cannot be allowed to take hold. Along with targeted policing, early intervention with young people most at risk of getting drawn into such a culture is crucial and has been found to be effective elsewhere.
"Ensuring that a culture of knife carrying doesn’t take hold needs to involve early intervention focused on schools, youth outreach, mentoring and family support. It needs to involve identifying at-risk individuals and addressing root causes as well as poverty, trauma and social exclusion.
"Tackling knife carrying must be prioritised now. It requires the Justice Minister to prioritise the issue but it also requires Government working with all parties and stakeholders to develop the urgent and proactive strategy to address this issue – before it’s too late."
