Progressive Party MP Vigdís Hauksdóttir has called for a metal detector gate to be established at the entrance of Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, following an incident before Christmas where a man tried to harm himself with a knife inside a restroom in the building.

“I’m very concerned about security issues given that a person armed with a knife can get all the way into the halls of parliament. I have often thought that a lot more damage could have been done had it been a different weapon,” Vigdís told Stöð 2.

“I believe the parliament’s security issues should be the responsibility of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police and that Alþingi be classified among the state’s highest administrative institutions,” Vigdís added.

“I don’t feel unsafe at parliament. Not at all. But we must get these matters in order and increase funding for the police so that law and order can be maintained,” the MP stated, naming a metal detector gate as a priority. “It should be our next step.”

Currently, Alþingi’s operation and service department is responsible for the parliament's security affairs.

Police funding has been cut by 25 percent in the past five years.

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ESA