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

I am disappointed that the Government and its partners in Fianna Fáil are opposing the Bill and preventing its progress to the next Stage. I, too, took legal advice from senior counsel on this issue who outlined the problem that we have identified. I have made it clear that Sinn Féin is open to amendments to the Bill that would address whatever concerns the Government or Attorney General may have. We are open to ideas. We are specifically referring to public spaces as defined under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994, but if there are repercussions, let us move to the next Stage and do what is required to alleviate the problem.

It is possible that additional issues might need to be addressed and explored, and existing legislation might cover some of them, but following are the types of matters that need to be considered: proper insurance cover and licensing; powers of confiscation and storage of illegal bikes; training and specific courses for those using such vehicles; the requirement to wear helmets and visibility vests; roller bars, as outlined by some of our rural Deputies; a proper register of such vehicles; log books that will be passed from buyer to buyer; licence plates on all bikes and quads; sellers and those advertising the sale of quads and scramblers indicating clearly that it is illegal to sell such vehicles to anyone under 16 years of age; the possibility of an NCT; the destruction of such vehicles after confiscation, in respect of which we are told legislation may be required; and using tracking units as found in cars and so on, which most people know can be done.

Deputy Troy mentioned suspending the Bill. I remind him and his party that they had the opportunity to table an amendment. Alternatively, they could allow the Bill to proceed to Committee Stage where the issues with it could be examined. This is a cop-out by Fianna Fáil in support of the Government. That this is a Sinn Féin Bill is behind that decision.

We have raised this issue in the Dáil since 2014 when we introduced a similar Bill and received a similar answer, which Deputy Crowe has outlined. Councillor Paul McAuliffe was mentioned. Both he and Deputy Rock of the Minister of State's party indicated to me that they would support and were in favour of this Bill. They did that in front of safety forum and policing forum meetings, but now I find that the Bill will be opposed. I find that hypocritical. It is sad that such a serious issue is being kicked down the road on the grounds that a group of people will meet, given that we were told the same thing in 2014. All the Minister of State is doing now is kicking this down the road for another few years. We have seen the consequences of doing that, such as the recent tragedy in Darndale, and it is inevitable that there will be more.

This Bill is not about people who operate quads and scramblers lawfully, including on farms. This is about people who operate them illegally. No one in Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael appears to be saying that there is not a problem or that there is something wrong with what we are suggesting. Rather, those parties are saying that the Bill will have repercussions elsewhere. Let us tease out the repercussions on the next Stage. What would be wrong with doing that? That is what legislating is about. Our simple request is to be allowed to proceed to the next Stage so that we can highlight and work on the Bill's problems and identify where legislation is required. If there are other repercussions, let us identify and deal with them.

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