Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We debated scramblers in this House previously. There is a need for legislation to stop the misuse of these motorbikes and to deal with the scourge of these machines. Sinn Féin has been consistent on this issue right from the start. My colleagues, Deputies Ellis and Munster, introduced legislation on this issue in previous stalls and a group that included myself and Deputy Paul Donnelly introduced legislation during this Dáil. It is needed, because in areas such as mine we have seen scramblers destroy public spaces and football pitches, resulting in matches having been called off. We have also seen the other aspect of the harm these machines cause, with some high-profile incidents where people have been badly injured and, in some cases, killed by scrambler bikes. We need robust legislation to stop this type of activity happening again because these machines are weapons in untrained hands. As was also mentioned earlier, we have also seen unscrupulous gangsters and criminals using younger people on scramblers to transport drugs and money. Legislation must be brought in to tighten up that aspect as well, and Sinn Féin has proposed such legislation in the past. It has always been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I am glad to see the Government taking heed of what we have introduced before.

E-bikes are new and something I have seen around my area. I have used them, not here, but when I was over in Brussels, in Belgium. I found them convenient to get around. We must have regulations in place, however, that will safeguard the people using the e-bikes and the public. We must tease out details such as whether these machines can be used on roads, footpaths and cycle paths, where lights will be necessary and at what age they can be used. All that kind of detail will have to be explored.

I drive a hybrid car and I am conscious that new electric technology makes everything quieter. People do not hear electric cars and e-bikes coming. One of my constituents has a visually-impaired child and it used to be possible to let that child go out to play without any fear, because she could hear a car coming and get off the road. There are not many cars on that road and she would be able to hear them. One day, however, there was an electric car and it was not possible for her to hear it. Nothing happened, thank God, but it could have. I went to the local authority seeking to have signage put up to warn drivers coming down the road that there was a visually-impaired child there, but that was turned down. Therefore, as well as requiring legislation on e-bikes, we must also ensure that the local authorities are resourced appropriately to allow them to put in protective measures in this regard.

The extension of the Luas to Lucan was promised in 2008, but the report that came out this week stated that it could be 2031, at the earliest, before that happens. Deputy Ó Broin and I had a comprehensive transport study undertaken in and around the Lucan area. Transport was one of the major issues that arose on the doorsteps when we were canvassing before the election. BusConnects is coming, but that is not the panacea that will solve everybody’s problems. We must start looking outside the box regarding this issue, because BusConnects is only part of the solution.

See this speech in context