Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. I very much welcome the establishment of the multi-agency group to look at this issue but progress is painfully slow. To a large extent the genie is now out of the bottle. It has become standard practice in some communities for youngsters to have these vehicles. Obviously the law has to be enforced in respect of those over 16 years of age. There has to be insistence on tax, insurance and a licence, but how is the Minister going to deal with the now very widespread problem of people under 16 years of age owning and using these vehicles? We need an urgent response to this and we are not getting it. There have been many serious accidents and it is inevitable that there will be further serious accidents and death caused by this activity. We are now in a period of fine weather and facing into the prospect of bright evenings and, it is hoped, long warm days. That brings its own problems in terms of this kind of activity in communities, which really poses a huge threat to other people who are trying to live in peace and quiet. It poses a threat to other children who are trying to use public open spaces and to people who are trying to engage in sport and so on. Pitches and parks are being churned up by the use of these vehicles.

There is no more time to lose in respect of this issue. We need an urgent response. It is fine for the interagency body made up of the four Departments and the Government agencies to be looking at this but we need action. There is a need for a change in the law in respect of the seizure and confiscation of these vehicles where they are being used by children. It is the parents who need to be pursued in terms of fines. The legislation needs to be changed and there needs to be a much stronger focus on this issue. There needs to be a sense of urgency from that interagency group because, as I have said, it is inevitable that there will be further serious injuries as a result of inaction in this area.

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