Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to contribute briefly to the debate on the Bill. I compliment my colleagues in Fianna Fáil on bringing it forward. It is very worthy and necessary. No Member wants to be a killjoy, but we must deal with these dangerous vehicles. They are not toys. Although I sympathise with communities or estates which are experiencing anti-social activity related to scrambler or quad activity of the sort referred to by other Members, the Bill may be a step too far and may not be proportionate. Of course, it is very difficult to get the balance right in any legislation.

The Bill proposes to make further provision for the seizure by An Garda Síochána of said vehicles and motorcycles in certain circumstances and provide for the confiscation and disposal of same where a person contravenes the law on the use of all-terrain vehicles and scrambler motorcycles in a public place. These vehicles should not be used in a public place. However, to get the legislation right and have it implemented and enforced is another issue.

I am from a rural background and own a quad which is used for mountain and hill sheep farming, with which the Leas-Cheann Comhairle is very familiar on the hills and slopes of County Donegal. The quad is a necessary tool, but it is extremely dangerous. A former president of the Irish Farmers Association broke his leg in a quad bike accident. They are very dangerous vehicles. Bulls, rams and other animals on farms may cause trouble, but these vehicles are very dangerous on rough and other terrain if operated by the wrong people because they have such powerful traction. They would be able to go up the steps beside where the Minister is sitting and might tumble back down on top of somebody. There have been many fatalities and injuries. That is a completely different matter from the one Deputy Curran and others are trying to address with the Bill. Although quads are a necessary and invaluable tool to get around to assess crops and animals in inclement weather conditions such as snow, they must be treated with the utmost respect.

It is very important that the vehicles be prohibited in public places such as parks and other recreational areas. One should need a licence to drive them, which would ensure that, at a minimum, people would have a provisional licence and done some theory tests. There is a role for schools in this matter. I recently met a principal who said everything was being left to schools. However, there needs to be an holistic education of young people on the dangers of these machines, as was done to meet the danger posed by certain animals. Quads and scrambler bikes may look great and young people may see them scrambling through the mountains and so on on television programmes or in films and may wish to be able to be take part in that wonderful activity, but the inherent dangers are incredible. I know several young people who were paralysed in serious accidents and for whom we are fundraising to provide for rehab care and recovery. Some of them will never walk again; certainly, they will never get on a quad or a motorbike.

We must be very careful about where and how these vehicles are used. Legislation is needed, but consideration must be given to how it will be implemented. One cannot expect a garda on the beat or in a squad car to follow these vehicles because of their speed and the way in which they are able to escape. Someone causing trouble on a quad or scrambler in a park will be able to go over a ditch and be gone without a trace. All one will be left with will be the smell of the bike's exhaust fumes. Although the young people involved in such activities may get an adrenaline rush from them, they are very dangerous. We have heard evidence from people who were lying on beaches or in a park and were driven over. That is extremely reckless behaviour which must be stamped out. It is very important that we recognise the danger posed by these vehicles and the damage they can cause. There are also dangers involved in their usage in farm and agricultural activities such as young people having access to them on family farms. I do not know how it will be policed, but it must. People must be taught to respect the inherent dangers posed by the vehicles, their sheer power and speed and, above all, the damage they can do. A person who falls off one of them at 20 miles per hour, let alone 30 miles per hour or 50 miles per hour, has no protection whatsoever. I acknowledge that the problem in Dublin must be dealt with, although I only have anecdotal evidence of what happens there and in other cities and towns.

The Minister, Deputy Ross, is very fond of the RSA and has given it sweeping powers in many areas in respect of tractors, cars, young drivers and so on. I attend shows and other events and often see quads at them. I was at an event last Sunday at which little bikes and quads were for sale. Children love them. Anyone can buy them as there are no restrictions on their sale. That issue must be investigated and we must ensure they are not purchased as birthday or Christmas presents. We all need to be re-educated and re-evaluate the potential hazards and the danger they can cause. We need to strike a balance between the right to have a mechanically propelled vehicle and the safety of other amenity users and people who wish to use recreational areas without fearing or enduring the noise, fumes and, above all, speed of quad bikes or scramblers driven by thrill seekers. I do not oppose the use of quads for farming purposes, but extreme caution and care are needed. The RSA needs to wake up and deal with these mechanically propelled vehicles.

The Minister has not set a good example. I recently saw him pictured in a publication. I am all for the simulator vehicles which the RSA brings to roadshows in order to show young people how they could be seriously injured in an overturning car, particularly if they are not wearing a seat belt. The RSA puts up very clear signs stating one may not go on the simulators if one is under 16 years or over 60. However, I saw a picture of the Minister in one of those vehicles. What a way to educate young people. I do not know what age the Minister is, but he is certainly well over 60 years. I have passed that milestone and he has been around far longer than I have. He should know better than to recklessly go on a simulator. A sign in front of it clearly stated those over 60 years should not do so. What image is he portraying to young people - that the guy up in Dublin who hates rural Ireland, the ordinary people going for a pint and those who want to obtain a driving licence to drive to school or college is recklessly upside down in a simulator? It is outrageous that he would be so reckless as to ignore those signs. We are here to try to pass legislation. Such recklessness is nothing new for the Minister who has been reckless since he became Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. The sooner the Government falls and disbands and he is out of it, the better. It will be good riddance to bad rubbish. I mean nothing personal, but it was completely reckless of him to get into the simulator which is brought to schools, sites and shows to warn young people of the dangers involved in driving. My goodness - the Minister is the thrill seeker. It was not very thrilling, but it was downright stupidity. It was bizarre and reckless behaviour engaged in by the Minister, but sin scéal eile. That is why he is keeping the Government in place. He needs to take a few training courses in order to learn to respect legislation that is printed and put in front of him.

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