Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. From a general perspective, I appreciate the enormous work the Seanad has put into this Bill. I also commend the Minister. This Bill deals with a wide range of topics to do with road traffic. At its initial publication, I was most interested in section 5, which deals with scrambler bikes. My only comment around this amendment and the others that are before us is that I wish to see speedy implementation of this Bill. I do not want to see any delay. I see Deputy Conway-Walsh in the Chamber. I know Deputies from all parties, including Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, have put forward Private Members' Bills, amendments and motions in this House to try to solve the issue of scrambler bikes. That issue is a scourge to the people of my community and many others. There are people who will be very grateful for this legislation and I hope the President will sign the Bill into law quickly to allow the Minister to introduce the regulations to put in place the key provision that allows gardaí the power to enter the curtilage of properties, to have a fixed penalty notice of €5,000, to give the Minister the ability to regulate certain vehicles and to introduce further restrictions. Most important is the ability to remove the obligation for such a vehicle to be in a public place, which was one of the issues with which gardaí on the ground were struggling.

There are safety forums, which are very important. Residents from right across the country are involved. This legislation came from those forums. The Garda, the Attorney General and Ministers were all saying we did not a change to legislation but we did. Why did we do it? We did it because people on the ground were telling us to do it. I particularly welcome to the Gallery members of the Fingal Safety Forum, representing Finglas Tidy Towns and the Finglas South Combined Residents Association. They also represent many more people in places such as Cabra, Darndale, Ballyfermot, Moyross and others throughout the country. It is they who forced this change. I thank the Government for listening and for putting in place the measures in this legislation.

I will not speak further to the Bill other than to thank the Minister for the amendments that have been made. It now must come to implementation. While the Garda has supported the residents to introduce this legislation, it now must be given the resources and have the ambition to ensure these new laws are enforced.

There is no point in us passing laws in here without them being implemented.

This is a scourge in our communities. It rocks the confidence people have in the Garda Síochána because if it is so blatantly happening in your community, you have no confidence the Garda can tackle far more serious crimes. We know that is not the case. We know the Garda wants to solve it. It has asked for these powers and we have given those powers to it. My only comment on the amendment before the House is that we should do nothing that delays the implementation of section 5.

I thank the Minister for the work he has done. I should acknowledge, to be fair, that the Tánaiste, Deputy Martin, did a lot of work pulling together different Departments - those of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, who has provided community funding as well. There is a real cross-party but also cross-government element. It is a good sign when a problem arises that Government listens and delivers a result.

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