Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have been listening to the debate both in the office and since I came into the Chamber. The concerns on the part of everybody and the desire to address them are obvious. The Bill before the House is one way of addressing it and I hope we can reach some consensus or there can be some collaboration to address people's genuine concerns.

I acknowledge those who have quads and scramblers and use them in a very positive way, including those who have quads and scramblers because they are functional vehicles for their work on farms, on beach patrols by lifeguards or for other activities by rangers. The problems arise when they are used in a particular urban setting. Unfortunately, much of that is associated with an antisocial element. These are off-road vehicles and they present problems in highly populated urban spaces, particularly in our open parks.

People have mentioned fatalities and Dublin Central has also seen fatalities, including a few years ago on Christmas Day. Christmas Day presents a particular problem because the roads and parks are generally much emptier, which presents an opportunity for those with scramblers and quad bikes to drive at very high speeds. In the majority of cases, unfortunately, the users have no safety helmets and no documentation. Of course, there is a bravado element to this. It is part of the ego trip or whatever and they spur each other on to go even faster.

I also make the point that gardaí have powers to stop and to confiscate. However, gardaí have been forthright at different community policing forum meetings I have attended that they are very cautious because they are aware of the dangers of giving chase. Sometimes giving chase only fuels the activity because some young people want to be chased by gardaí and, therefore, the gardaí are afraid there could be a very serious accident. Gardaí must have public safety at the core of their work. They have come in for a lot of criticism because they are not going after these young people but I can understand where they are coming from, given the thrill the bike riders get from being chased by gardaí.

With regard to awareness of the dangers, a public awareness campaign is something the RSA or some other body could take on. We have had public awareness campaigns on drink driving, seat belts and mobile phones, and I believe something similar would be useful in this regard. Like Deputy Gino Kenny, I cannot understand how parents would buy these items for small children. I also cannot understand how the sellers of these machines can get away with selling them without having much better safety precautions and ensuring a safety helmet is bought with them.

With regard to motocross, there was a very successful project on the Alfie Byrne Road run by Dublin City Council with the local motocross club, whereby people could go to a designated area with their scramblers and bikes. This is something that should be pursued. Let us face it: these bikes, quads and scramblers will continue to be bought, unfortunately, so we need awareness and regulation, particularly for public parks. I was at a community policing forum meeting last week and it was very sad to listen to old people telling us they were afraid to go into the public park because these quads and scramblers would be there and they were afraid of being knocked down.

We have to tackle the issue, whether it is through Deputy Ellis's Bill or otherwise. The important point is that it is tackled. I am sure it does not matter to Deputy Ellis how it is tackled but it has to be through a collaborative effort so something real happens.

As we are on this subject, I make a plea to the Minister in regard to the legislation on rickshaws. This has been going on for far too long, with one authority blaming the other and saying the other has control.

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