Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In Dundalk and elsewhere in County Louth I have dealt with countless constituents, as have many other Members in their areas, who are worried about the issue of scramblers and quad bikes racing through streets and community green spaces at all hours of the day and night. I refer to estates in Dundalk, council land, parks, private land and even farmland on the edge of town where crops were destroyed by scramblers.

Yearly, we are told by An Garda and the Road Safety Authority of the serious safety hazard of these powerful machines. They have the potential to injure people severely or fatally. Reference was made to the six people who died between 2014 and 2019 as a result of these machines. That is six families too many who have had their world turned upside down. That is why gates and bollards are erected to make it more difficult for scramblers to get into particular areas.

The Garda is often powerless and unable to chase people driving these bikes. That is understandable from a safety point of view. There have been instances when they have chased and seized some of these vehicles and generally that has been impactful. However, the legislation ensuing from the motion will give the Garda the legal powers and the necessary resources to tackle this issue.

I accept that some people use quad bikes and scramblers for essential work and for sport. I get that young people are lured to adrenaline sports. I would be the first to try out one of these bikes. As many would attest, I would also be the first to fall off the bike and do myself an injury. The use of these bikes for sport must take place in a controlled environment with rules, regulations and checks. Facilitating that needs to be explored, but that will not really happen until we deal with the serious issue of the underfunding of youth services and local authorities and the significant issue of insurance. Every summer, I have received calls regarding groups of kids in fields with scramblers and quads, drinking and doing whatever else and causing havoc for hours on end. I refer to parents with autistic children who are sensitive to noise and have to go through what, for them, is an absolute nightmare.

We need to ensure we do all we can do deal with this issue. Reference was made to the anti-social behaviour element and even to scramblers being used in drug runs. Later this week, Sinn Féin will deal with the issues of the lack of addiction services and interventions and the need for more community policing. The motion before the House deals with an issue that is impacting on communities. We need to facilitate them. I am calling on Members across the House to find a solution to this problem. I urge the House to support the motion and the ensuing legislation.

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