asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of the nuisance being caused by noisy vehicles, especially motor cycles, driven by young people on Dublin suburban roads; and if the gardaí will institute a campaign to curb this nuisance by prosecution or otherwise.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Noise Nuisance.
64.
I am, of course, aware of the increase in noise from vehicles, particularly from motor cycles, in recent years and the gardaí have taken a number of prosecutions for using motor cycles and other motor vehicles which caused excessive noise. Instructions have been issued to all members of the force in the Dublin metropolitan area to do everything possible to curb the nuisance.
Is the Minister aware that some of the residential areas in the south county are being used as racetracks by groups of helmeted motor cyclists with consequent danger to the young, to say nothing of interference with the amenity of the areas, and will the Minister attack this problem as a special problem, aside altogether from the question of noise?
As I told the Deputy, special instructions have been given to the gardaí in the Dublin metropolitan area to do all they can to curb this nuisance. I do not think there is any question of any roads being official racetracks. This would be an entirely private matter.
If they were official people could avoid them. The problem is they are unofficial.
Is the Minister aware that some of the newer motor cycles have been designed to make this noise?
If they are then the manufacturers or users are committing an offence under the Road Traffic Act. There is an obligation to have a silencer. If motor cycles are specially designed to create noise they would be in breach of the Road Traffic Act.
Is the Minister aware that youths remove these silencers and can the Minister say what penalties can be imposed if someone is proved guilty of this offence?
It would be a breach of a section of the Road Traffic Act. I would imagine the general penalty applies which is, I think, a fine not exceeding £50.
Surely the Minister is aware that silencers have been removed?
If they have been the persons removing them are liable to prosecution.
Would the Minister instruct the gardaí to take action.
They have been so instructed.
It is not alone in the city but all over the country that these motor cyclists are doing this.
As I understand the Road Traffic Act, interpretation is a matter of judgement on the part of the Garda authorities. It has recently become possible to set up objective standards of noise in terms of actual description by decibels of noise volume. Would it not remove the possibility of error in individual judgment to lay down base lines to which people could conform? This could be done if some standard were introduced. Would that not make the work of the Garda easier? Would the Minister look at that aspect of the matter?
It might make it more difficult because they would then have to measure the noise. At the moment, if an effective silencer is not fitted, an offence is committed.
It is not difficult now — it was impossible 20 years ago — to measure noise volume. Would it not be better if we had some objective standards? This problem arises in airports and in heavy traffic generally. The Minister suggests the matter should be left to the discretion of the Garda, but that makes it harder to enforce the existing law.
Would the Minister's Department welcome information from members of the public when groups of motor cyclists of the kind I have described are found in an area? If information is given to the Department or to the Garda would that be welcome?
The Garda would welcome any such information and it should be communicated to them.
Would the informant have to go to court?
No.