James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Deputies who have contributed this evening. I think we all agree on the importance of ensuring this issue is effectively addressed. It is an issue of serious and genuine concern that makes our public and social spaces unsafe for others and creates a sense of real fear among the public. Anti-social behaviour in any form negatively impacts on the quality of life of our communities and it is an issue that as Minister of State I am keen to address.

Those who engage in the reckless or dangerous misuse of these vehicles require support from the whole of government. Raising awareness of the dangers inherent in the misuse of these vehicles is key in helping to reduce the number of young people engaged in this type of behaviour. The Garda and Road Safety Authority, RSA, launched a new public awareness campaign on 23 October to highlight the dangers quad bikes and scramblers pose to children and to urge parents not to gift these as Christmas presents.

The Road Safety Authority reports that three of the six people who died in Ireland as a result of an incident involving a quad bike or scrambler in the period 2014 to 2019 were aged 18 or under. The casualty figures also show that between 2014 and 2019, 60 people were injured in collisions involving a quad bike or scrambler on a public road. Of those killed or injured between 2014 and 2019, 41% of casualties were 18 years of age or under. These collisions occurred on public roads, were reported to An Garda Síochána and involved a vehicle specified as being a quad bike or scrambler.

The public awareness campaign includes a national and local radio advertising campaign, which is fronted by Mr. Keith Synnott, consultant orthopaedic and spine surgeon of the national spinal injuries unit in the Mater hospital. This campaign also features the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. As stated earlier by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the seriousness with which the Government takes this issue is reflected in the programme for Government commitment to enhance powers available to An Garda Síochána to limit the use of scramblers and quads by those engaged in anti-social behaviour and to enact legislation to add to those powers if needed. Legislation is just one part of the solution and we will not hesitate to look at new legislation if it is required. The Department of Transport is responsible for road traffic law, road safety and road traffic enforcement, but the Department of Justice will do whatever it needs to do.

Clearly, the issues underlying anti-social behaviour of whatever sort cannot be addressed entirely through new legislation in this area alone. Public awareness of the dangers posed by the misuse of these types of vehicles is a key element of tackling any such misuse and my Department has agreed to consider and develop actions to increase awareness of the dangers of these vehicles. The intention is that this work will be carried out in conjunction with affected communities, community groups and other stakeholders affected by the misuse of scramblers. It will also explore how best to engage with young people who are drawn to this behaviour.

Deputies will also be aware that a draft new youth justice strategy was published by my Department earlier this year to facilitate a public consultation process. Implementation of the youth justice strategy will make a valuable contribution to ongoing efforts to combat anti-social behaviour, including the misuse of scramblers and quad bikes. Issues such as the need for early intervention and family support, coupled with collaborative working by agencies and community partners, are central to the approach contained in the youth justice strategy. The importance of the strategy is endorsed by and prioritised in the programme for Government. Acting on the issue of anti-social behaviour will not be solved by stand-alone interventions. It will need a cross-governmental approach to tackle the causes of anti-social behaviour as well as the actions that are being carried out. It means also creating opportunities and will involve, I believe, restorative justice, requiring face-to-face interaction with the victims and their communities by those carrying out these activities.

The strategy has been developed in light of the experience of State agencies and community partners who work with the comparatively small number of children and young people who come in contact with the criminal justice system. This work has built on the 2008 youth justice strategy and the subsequent Youth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018, and it tries to deal with many of the gaps that remain, as well as new challenges which have emerged. It is intended that the new strategy will align with successor frameworks to the current National Policy Framework for Children and Young Adults 2014-2020, which is overseen by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It will also align with a new community safety strategy which my Department is preparing. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, recently announced locations for new community safety pilot projects which will inform the development of that strategy.

It is intended to bring the finalised youth justice strategy to Government later this year for approval. In terms of supports and programmes currently available, there are 105 Garda youth diversion projects throughout the State. The intention is to develop this service further so that it is available to every child in the State who could benefit from it through an ongoing expansion of existing services and, where necessary, the foundation of new projects.

The projects are being developed to provide family support to the parents of young people participating in the projects and are undertaking early intervention and preventative work. The role of the projects in respect of harder to engage young people is being enhanced and extended as part of the evolving youth justice system.

My Department is supporting ongoing development of practice in Garda youth diversion projects through the action research project led by the University of Limerick. The project works directly with front-line youth justice workers from local projects to develop interventions and best practice. Based on initial outcomes from the project and evaluations of several pilot projects, it is intended to develop proposals to expand existing services to ensure national coverage and a strong focus on difficult issues such as the hard to reach cohort.

More broadly, the programme for Government also contains a commitment to convene an expert forum on anti-social behaviour. This will provide a key focus for further development of policy and engagement with stakeholders on the issue. The commitment in the programme for Government to establish the forum refers not only to Garda enforcement powers but also to the provision of parenting supports. As Minister of State, I convened the initial meeting of the new forum on anti-social behaviour on 27 October.

It is through collaboration across Government, the public service and community stakeholders that the issue of the misuse of scramblers and quad bikes, and anti-social behaviour in general, can be tackled and our communities can be made safer. In the interim, I commend the work of An Garda Síochána on the issue. Targeted enforcement measures have been introduced in several areas where quad bikes and scramblers were causing difficulties. I am informed that An Garda Síochána will continue to pursue enforcement through the implementation of appropriate local plans and policing strategies. The Garda has advised my Department that it responds to all reports of anti-social behaviour and conducts operations on an ongoing basis to target anti-social activities of persons using scramblers, mopeds or quad bikes in parks and green areas. I ask the House to support the countermotion and the ongoing work to tackle this issue.

See this speech in context