John Curran T.D. has expressed his disappointment in the Government and Minister Shane Ross for opposing the Fianna Fáil Bill in the Dáil recently. Aimed at regulating the illegal use of Scrambler Bikes in public areas, the Fianna Fáil Bill which was introduced by the Deputy passed second stage last week in the Dáil with Government TD’s not supporting it and not one Fine Gael TD contributing to the debate. Deputy Curran commented, “The dangerous and illegal use of these bikes is a widespread problem across Dublin and other parts of the country. As they have grown in trend among young people, the fear and havoc scramblers inflict on residential communities has reached crisis point in many areas.
Only in recent weeks, I have received calls from anxious parents of small children in Clondalkin who feel that they cannot bring their children to the local green or allow them play in their front gardens.” “There have already been a number of very serious collisions involving quads and scramblers in public space in Dublin causing life-changing injuries. Explaining some of the specific measures from the Bill, Deputy John Curran commented; “The basic truth is that Gardaí are restricted under current legislation and can neither seize nor effectively police the use of these vehicles. “Under our bill, riding a quad or scrambler bike in an antisocial and dangerous manner will be an offence under Ireland’s public order legislation for the first time. “75% of people that were killed by a scrambler or quad bike between 2014 and 2017 were children and the fact is that in very many cases these vehicles are purchased by someone else and gifted to an underage child. We are looking to include a heavy penalty for those purchasing vehicles for a young person who uses them recklessly. Our bill makes provision for increasing the maximum fine to €5,000 and to subsequently allow Gardaí to seize and destroy a vehicle that has been supplied under these conditions. “It is hard for people who do not live in areas afflicted by this problem to understand the disruption these vehicles cause and the effect they have on people’s quality of life. Fianna Fáil is determined to put an end to the scourge they represent and this Bill is a critically important part of that effort. I would ask colleagues from across all parties to join us in this effort and support our Bill,” ” he concluded.
