Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue. Many people in my constituency - and, I am sure, in the Minister's constituency - are having to put up with excessive noise and nuisance as a consequence of the misuse of scrambler vehicles and other types of motorbike. The problem has been particularly acute since Christmas, when many such vehicles were given as presents. People trying to relax in their homes on a Saturday evening or Sunday morning are subjected to hours of deafening noise as people race up and down the roads on scrambler bikes. In many cases, these drivers are using the wrong side of the road and going the wrong way around roundabouts. Some of them also do significant damage to public parks, making them places of fear for other residents rather than places where they can go for leisure, to exercise their dogs and so on.

What is happening amounts to an epidemic and something must be done about it. Some of the scrambler racers have put videos of their activities on the Internet. I will send the links to the Minister if he wishes so he can see what is going on. My concern in this regard is twofold. The first is the impact of these activities on the quality of life of ordinary people. Second, I am concerned that the wild behaviour in which some of these scramblers are engaging will ultimately result in loss of life. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that these drivers generally do not have the appropriate licences and, in many cases, are underage.

The thrust of the reply to the parliamentary question I tabled yesterday on this issue was that it is a Garda matter. That is, of course, correct. However, the gardaí to whom I have spoken about the issue have indicated they are fearful of chasing these people in case one of them should be killed, in which case the garda in question will be held responsible. There is also an issue as to whether gardaí are authorised to go into public parks and chase them there. My understanding is that they do not have adequate powers to take that type of action.

It is time to consider whether anything can be done in legislation to address this problem. I appreciate that it is a difficult issue to deal with, but I will offer a suggestion. I am proposing that people who purchase scrambler bikes for juveniles should be obliged, at the point of sale, to show the birth certificate of the person for whom the vehicle is being bought and give evidence that this person has the relevant licence. That would contribute towards eliminating this scourge. It is an issue that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

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