Justice minister accused of 'cynicism' over stop and search

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan was speaking amid widespread public concern in the aftermath of multiple serious assaults. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA

The Justice Minister’s approach to stop and search powers for knife crime are “cynical” and “cheap”, a policing expert has said.

Last week, Jim O’Callaghan told the Dáil that part of the response to knife crime has to be powers for gardaí to “stop and search people so that they can seize knives from them if they suspect they are carrying knives”.