Calls for action on knife crime after man, 25, dies in stabbing

CALLS have been made to tackle knife crime following a fatal stabbing in Dublin this week, as it was revealed almost 1,000 knives have been seized by gardaí this year.

A 25-year-old man died after he was stabbed in Tallaght on Tuesday. Gardaí yesterday arrested a man on suspicion of murder in connection with the fatal assault.

The man, aged in his 20s, was arrested in Dundalk, Co. Louth, and was being detained at Tallaght Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 last night.

A post-mortem of the deceased was due to conclude yesterday afternoon. A second male in his 50s was yesterday continuing to receive medical attention for non-lifethreatening injuries sustained during the same incident.

Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond has called for the speedy introduction of community-led initiatives to tackle knife crime at source.

Programmes in Scotland have seen ‘homicides reduce by more than half’, the Dublin Rathdown TD said.

A total of 999 knives have been seized by gardaí since the start of the year.

Mr Richmond published figures showing that 44% of knife seizures were among young people aged 12 to 23. He warned that parents and teachers are finding knives in school bags and lockers.

Mr Richmond said yesterday: ‘The death of a young man in Tallaght last night once again shows how knife crime continues to cast a tragic shadow across our streets and our communities, with 999 knives seized by gardaí so far this year alone.’

He also said that 1,057 people have been charged with knife crimes in 2021, adding: ‘This is on top of 2,286 people in 2020.

‘Programmes such as knife amnesties, mentorships, education programmes in schools, youth diversion services and youth training programmes have had huge success in Scotland where they saw homicides reduce by more than half.’