Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This has been a major problem for many years. I have been chasing this issue from when I was a councillor years ago. I have also raised it with Ministers here in this Chamber. The problem is children of five years, six years and eight years of age going around on motorbikes in housing estates and council-owned lands. Seizing these vehicles is not covered properly in legislation.

There have been deaths caused by quads. A person in my area was killed as a result of a quad accident. The statistics are there. I have seen young kids of six or seven years of age on these small motorbikes with no insurance or tax. They are not tied to any sort of registration with a club. Clubs would be a good way of registering these bikes and could also provide proper training and facilities.

There are consequences from the European court judgment, a copy of which I will give to the Minister. Will the Minister and his officials examine it? Time out of number we have been told by senior Garda and officials that there is no need for legislation. I believe that is wrong. In cases where vehicles have been seized by gardaí, they have had to give them back with no fines or penalties, even though a six-year-old was using them, because a person said it was their property.

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