Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the schedule now being followed in respect of proposed legislation to deal with the menace of quad bikes and scramblers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12008/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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On 16 February, the Government approved proposals which I brought forward to legislate to deal with the anti-social use of scramblers and other similar vehicles. This legislation will be brought forward by way of amendments at committee stage to the forthcoming Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

The timing of the introduction of these proposals is therefore dependent on the Bill. Drafting of the Bill itself is well-advanced in the Office of the Attorney General. However, as the Deputy will be aware, it is standard practice for the relevant Joint Oireachtas Committee (JOC) to have an opportunity to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Bill before publication.

The General Scheme of this Bill was sent to the JOC in November 2019. Due to the dissolution, election, and subsequent period before the formation of the Government, as well as the inevitable impact of the pandemic on the work of the Committee, this scrutiny has yet to take place.

It is my hope that scrutiny by the JOC can take place quickly, followed soon after by the publication of the Bill. The scrutiny process will assist the Committee in being better prepared to study the Bill during Committee Stage.

As the date of scrutiny is a matter for the JOC, and as the assignment of Dáil time for the Bill cannot be determined until it is published, I cannot therefore offer the Deputy a precise schedule for the passage of the legislation. I would like to assure him, however, that it is my intention to see it passed as soon as possible.