Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a serious issue for many of the communities affected and for the two individuals whose lives, as the Minister of State outlined, have been tragically affected by the incident in the park. Some 190 people have been injured, some severely, and there have been some deaths as a consequence of the misuse of these scramblers and quad bikes. They are a blight on many communities and areas throughout the city. That is the case for those directly affected and for those afraid to go to our parks or outside of their front doors. This is an issue affecting and blighting many communities, particularly in working-class areas and communities right across Dublin. I urge the Minister of State to take this seriously and to listen to the advice. He should also listen to the Deputies from all of the parties in this House saying this is a serious issue that needs to be considered. Some action needs to be taken before we have another unfortunate incident.

I accept the update from the Minister, via the Minister of State, in the spirit in which it is intended. It seems encouraging. I am glad to see we have some advice on the table from the Office of the Attorney General. I hope we will be able to act on that advice, bring forward something to curb the misuse of these vehicles and curb the inappropriate behaviour that we see daily and weekly. If our intention is to stand up for working-class communities and for areas that are blighted by these vehicles, then we need to act on this and act on this now. I thank the Minister of State and I look forward to updates in due course.

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