Dáil debates

Thursday, 11 November 2021

Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed)

 

3:55 pm

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to this important Bill and to address, in particular, the section on scramblers. Sinn Féin has moved a number of motions and Bills on this topic in this Dáil and previous Dáileanna and it is good the issue is finally being acted on. Scramblers plague communities throughout Dublin Bay North and people are fed up. They are sick of not being able to go out for a walk or go to the playground with their kids because of the noise pollution from these bikes going up and down their roads morning, noon and night. People have been seriously injured when they have been involved in incidents with scramblers. There have been countless cases of people ending up with life-changing injuries because of them. Recently, in my constituency, a young mother was knocked down and remains seriously injured in Beaumont Hospital. The vehicles are driven dangerously by people who do not have a licence and are not insured or even taxed. I hope the Bill will change parents' attitudes and make them think twice about buying these bikes for their children at Christmas. They are a danger to everybody and a scourge on our communities. Enough is enough. Our communities deserve better.

I welcome section 5, which will create the offence of dangerous driving in any place and address some of the issues the Garda has had in securing successful prosecutions. I welcome also section 11, which will allow the Minister to make other vehicles similar to scramblers fall under these new laws. We need to ensure the Garda is resourced fully to tackle the scourge of these bikes in our communities. As I said, people in my constituency are beyond tired of having to deal with this daily. It is important people can go about their business without the fear of being injured or, worse, even ending up in hospital because of these bikes.

The Bill has been a long time coming, but I am grateful, on behalf of my community, that the Government has finally realised the need for legislation on this issue.

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