OVER THE PAST decade knife crime has generally occurred in residential areas, while prosecution and seizure of knives has increased, according to a knife crime analysis by An Garda Síochána.

The report looked at knife crime over ten years, from 2015 to 2024, finding that on average, five knives are seized in Ireland every day.

There was a 28% increase in the number of knives seized by gardaí in the last five years, in comparison to the five years before.

Up to 50% of knife seizures occur in Dublin, with the highest levels of seizures in North Central, South Central, North and West Dublin.

It said the most common offences, which sometimes involve knives, are generally decreasing in 2025. Robbery is down around 23%, while assault causing harm has decreased by 3% this year.

The report also found that most assaults causing harm with a knife and murder or manslaughter incidents with a knife occur in residential locations, rather than on the street or in open spaces.

Minister of Justice Jim O’Callaghan welcomed the overall drop in assaults involving knives and an increase in knife seizures and prosecutions, but said he is “concerned” about the number of knife incidents occurring in residential settings.

In a statement today, he said: “I am concerned that the findings also show that most incidents of harm involving a knife occur in residential settings. I intend to raise the findings of this report with incoming Commissioner Justin Kelly when we meet early next week.”

Robberies

Under 30% of all robberies in the past decade involved a knife.

Over the past five years there were, on average, five robberies with knives each week in retail spaces across the country. This is a 40% reduction from 2015 to 2019.

There were also three robberies with knives each week on the street or in open spaces. This is a 35% reduction from 2015 to 2019.

94% of these offenders are men, with the majority aged between 18 to 35 (54%).

Assault

There has been an increase in assaults causing harm over the 10-year period, but assault causing harm with a knife accounted for only 5% of  the incidents in 2024, and under 7% of the incidents over the past 10 years.

Between 2020 to 2024 there has been a slight increase of assaults causing harm with a knife in residential areas and on the street or open spaces, compared to 2015 to 2019.

Males account for 86% of these offenders, the majority are aged between 18 to 35 (57%).

Murder and manslaughter

There was less than one murder or manslaughter with a knife recorded on average per month in the last ten years – but it does account for one in every four murder or manslaughter incidents.

87% of these offenders are men, the majority are between 18 to 35 (50%), followed by 35 to 49 years (36%). Teenagers account for 7% of offenders.

Over 1,700 people were admitted to hospital following a knife assault, with the highest number admitted in 2023 (213).

87% of hospital admissions were male, with 6% under the age 18.

Prosecutions

In the past ten years, there have been nearly 20,000 prosecutions for possession of knives and flick knives, amounting to almost 40 prosecutions every week.

In the last five years prosecutions for possession of a knife increased by 14%, in comparison to over to 2015 to 2019. 

The maximum penalty for the offences of possession of a knife with the intention of unlawfully intimidating or injuring another person, trespassing with a knife, and producing a knife while committing or appearing to be about to commit an offence, increased from five years to seven years’ imprisonment from September 2024.

The maximum penalty for ‘assault causing harm’ under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 was increased in 2023 from five to ten years’ imprisonment.