Number of knives seized by gardaí locally trebles

The number of knives seized by local gardaí trebled in the three years up to 2020.

New figures released by the Department of Justice show 215 knives were seized in Cavan and Monaghan between 2016 and mid-August of this year.

Sixty-three were seized last year alone, three times the figure in 2017 when 21 were taken off the streets.

The data, released to Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond, shows 22 have been seized so far this year.

Justice Minister Heather Humphreys said the Government is “very conscious of the dangers presented by knife crime” and will continue to review sentencing policy.

Nationally, 2,248 knives were seized by gardaí last year - up from 1,202 four years previous.

Minister Humphreys says the increase in seizures is partly due to better recording of items confiscated and more “proactive policing operations”.