Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 December 2022
25. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has collated any figures regarding the number of reports made to gardaí of incidents where scramblers and quads have been reported as posing a danger to the public and if she can make them available. [60510/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI share the Deputy's concerns in relation to the public safety and anti-social issues associated with the misuse of such vehicles.
The Deputy will be interested to know that the Expert Forum on Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), which I chair, is examining a broad range of issues, with a focus on developing measures which will address anti-social behaviour and its impact on community morale and quality of life.
I established a subgroup of the Anti-Social Behaviour Forum to deliver community based proposals to tackle the misuse of these vehicles. Arising from the work of the subgroup on the misuse of scramblers and quadbikes, funding of almost €200,000 is being provided to eight community-based projects to work with young people involved in the anti-social use of scramblers and quad bikes and related crime.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that there were 178 incidents in 2021 and 80 in 2022 where a scrambler bike was seized or detained nationally.
I am advised that, over a 2 year period, from 1 January 2021 to 3 October 2022, there were 143 scramblers seized in the Dublin Region. Of these seized, 70 were seized in the Southern Region, 29 in the Eastern Region and 16 in the North-Western Region.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that counts of fewer than 10 cannot be provided due to data protection concerns.
It is worth noting that the figures quoted are based upon operational data from the PULSE system as was available on 4 October 2022 and is liable to change.
The Deputy will be interested to know that my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, has brought forward the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 which is currently at Committee Stage in the Seanad. This Bill will make amendments to the Road Traffic Acts in order to ensure that prosecutions for dangerous driving may be taken against those who use scramblers, or other similar vehicles, in a dangerous way in any location as well as insert a new section into the 1961 Act. This section will create a number of Garda powers to deal with a situation where a vehicle is being driven dangerously in any place and give Gardaí the powers to seize where necessary.
