Ceist:
605 Mr. Ahern asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the regulations and position with regard to the legality of having and selling knives; and if current laws are under consideration for strengthening. [13386/02]
Written Answers. - Offensive Weapons.
The Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990, contains a number of controls regarding the availability and possession of offensive weapons and other articles. Obviously, this legislation recognises that there are various purposes for the possession of knives and only penalises in cases where they are carried for no good reason. Section 9 of the Act provides that it is an offence to have any knife or any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed in any public place without such good reason or lawful authority. The penalty on summary conviction for this offence is a fine up to €1,270 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both.
Section 10 of the 1990 Act makes it an offence to trespass with a knife or any article made for causing injury to or incapacitating a person intended for such use. Section 11 makes it an offence to produce any article capable of inflicting serious injury in a manner likely to intimidate another person, in the commission of an offence or in the course of a dispute or fight. The penalty on conviction on indictment for the above named offences is a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both. The manufacture, importation, sale, hire or loan of a range of offensive weapons is prohibited by section 12 of the Act and also by the 1991 offensive weapons order made under the Act.
I wish to assure the House that my Department and the Garda authorities have considered all aspects of this issue and are of the view that the matter would best seem to be addressed by the strict enforcement of the existing legislation and the exercise of a responsible approach by the sellers of these objects. While I have no plans to amend existing legislation in this area, I would, of course, be prepared to consider any submissions which might be made to me in this regard.