Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I send my condolences to Councillor Tania Doyle and Hazel, and also colleagues here in the Oireachtas, on the tragic death of Derek just before Christmas. He was on his way home from this House.

The Minister referred in his introduction to scramblers and quad bikes on our streets, parks and open spaces. I welcome the instruction that has been given by senior gardaí to begin to challenge people driving scramblers and quad bikes in our communities. I am sure the Minister has seen on social media the countless videos that are put up on social media by young people themselves of them on scramblers and quad bikes on our streets. They are goading the guards. They are so brazen now that they driving right beside them. They goad them and knock on the windows of their cars. They are challenging the guards to chase them. The problem is that the Garda do not have the resources to be able to do that. It is something that must be challenged. We see them driving on one wheel, on the wrong side of the road, and with no helmet and no safety equipment.

While I welcome the introduction of the instruction, it is pointless without the front-line gardaí getting the appropriate training and equipment, including high-powered motorbikes to be able to challenge those people on the streets because they just cannot do it in the cars. It is impossible for them to do it. It is like giving the Garda responsibility for tackling drink and drug driving but not giving them the equipment to carry out the tests. We are asking them to challenge the people on quad bikes and scramblers but they do not have the equipment to do that.

I urge the Minister to collaborate with the Minister for Justice. They should sit down and figure out how we do this. I also urge him to go online and have a look at what they are doing in England because in England and Wales they have dedicated scrambler units in many towns and cities that are also affected by the same scourge of people driving recklessly on the roads. People are being killed every single year. Some residents are terrified of driving, cycling or walking around their community because of these activities. The Minister should have a chat with the Minister for Justice and urge him to please give the Garda the resources they need to tackle this problem.

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