Mary Lou McDonald demands action on scramblers and e-scooters

Maith agat, Ceann Comhairle, Taoiseach. Sandra Deans is living a nightmare. Three weeks ago her 14 year old son Jayden was knocked down by a speeding scrambler in a hit-and-run incident. Jayden was on his way to the shops and he was hit as he crossed the road at the five lamps in the inner city and when his mother Sandra got the call and hurried to the scene she arrived not knowing if her son was alive or dead. Jayden has suffered a very serious injury to his leg. He has been left with a broken mangled leg and incredible trauma. He's now confined to his home. He needs constant care while he recovers and Sandra is understandably very very distraught with Taoiseach. She is also very very angry. People in the north inner city of Dublin and beyond across our suburbs in Finglas and Cabra all across the country are sick to the back teeth of gangs on high-speed e-scooters and scramblers literally bringing havoc and real danger to our neighborhoods. They speed through our communities with absolutely no regard for anybody's safety not to mind the law. These vehicles are being used to deliver drugs. They are also involved in open intimidation and create a real sense of menace and a sense of fear in our neighborhoods. When Grace Lynch who was only 16 died when she was hit by a scrambler in January, you said at that time Taoiseach that everything would be done. You said I believe you told Grace's parents that this death was enough, that Grace was enough, that we were not going to tolerate this situation any longer and Grace's law was supposed to mark a real turning point for us. But months on from its enactment and we actually see the plague of all of this getting worse not better but getting worse. Grace's parents Siobhan and Martin Lynch are here with us today in the public gallery. I want to welcome them and they will later today appear at the Justice Committee and they say and they know that certainly not enough is being done to face down this scourge. They say correctly that unless the law is enforced then it essentially means nothing and Martin her dad says has told how his blood boils when he sees scramblers and e-scooters moving at high speed with no consequences for people on them right across our city. Lives have been lost Taoiseach. We know of a loss of life in Carlow, in Galway. We know that there are children on life support machine and in Temple Street Hospital and beyond. Real harm and real damage is being done and the question has to be asked today what are you doing about it? Can I ask how it is possible that it is so easy for anybody to walk into a toy store and to walk out with an e-scooter? In many many cases these e-scooters are being bought and they are moving way beyond 25 kilometers per hour. They're moving at 60 and 70 kilometers per hour. We know that the scrambler bikes in reality in many many cases are motorbikes. We know that there is not the requirement to have these vehicles registered, to have those using them licensed, to have tax, to have insurance. All of the standard things that we expect of anybody else using the roads. I want to know Taoiseach what you are going to do. When is this going to change? When will the Gardaí be resourced? When will they have the training? When will they have the equipment to get on top of this and to make our communities safe? First of all again what you have described is horrific. For Sandra, I didn't get Sandra's surname, but for Sandra and her son Jake. It is something that we're going to deal with very robustly. The legislation in terms of Grace's Law was enacted on the 3rd of April. So we're now into the middle of July. I know the Gardaí Commissioner is speaking today to the Oireachtas committee as well. To say that first of all there has been very proactive seizure of scramblers and indeed of e-scooters. I mean about 2,000 e-scooters have been seized since 2024 and about 418 scramblers have been seized since 2024. Because the impact of these scramblers is horrific and as we know in the context of the appalling killing of Grace Lynch and I did meet with Siobhan and Martin and I know how committed and dedicated they are to rid society of discourage. We will use every lever at our disposal to do this. The Minister for Transport will be working with the Minister for Justice to bring in legislation to ensure that Gardaí are protected whilst in pursuit of anyone on a scrambler or an e-scooter. I know that the Minister for Health has sought a full and comprehensive report from CHI in respect of injuries to children as a result of e-scooter accidents and the Minister for Transport Sean Kenny is looking at all options in respect of e-scooters in terms of a full ban if necessary. There are options open to the house in terms of regulation or a full ban. The expectation is that the report from CHI will be will be of profound consequence in terms of what will be detailed in terms of the impact of e-scooters. In respect of scramblers they are explicitly now banned for any use in any public place. The Minister for Justice, the Garda Commissioner are continuing to examine any further actions that they can do to clamp down on the illegal use of scramblers and indeed of e-scooters. There has been some progress in terms of Operation Macan and the operations of that kind and the Commissioner will give a presentation today to the committee in response of that. Operation Macan looks in particular to use of electric vehicles that have been used for criminal activity across the Dublin metropolitan area and there have been significant days of action carried out as a result of that with e-scooters and e-bikes seized across the operation of Operation Macan. The resources, the equipment, legislation, it is not just about legislation, it is now about enforcement and it's also about ensuring that Garda are protected as they enforce this law and this regulation. Now irrespective of new laws, Garda obviously have to weigh up and balance their interventions at given times in terms of the pursuit of some of these people, particularly on scramblers, but people are fed up of it and people have had enough of this and we are determined within Garda Síochána to do everything that we possibly can to rid scramblers from public places and if that doesn't transpire in terms of the continued frequency, we may have to look at more what would ordinarily be seen as extreme action in terms of scramblers more generally, in terms of what they're purported to be originally used for. I think one has to look at every option in respect of this issue. It certainly is about enforcement and scramblers might be banned from public roads in theory but that is far from the reality. I'd invite you to come to my neighborhood of Cabra, go into Finglas, go into the north inner city and you'll see the reality. These are an absolute scourge and a source of immediate danger to people's lives. So Tí Síochána, so much more has to be done. For people on the ground, they don't see a government action that's determined to get on top of this. They see a very lacklustre, very half-hearted response. So Garda Síochána, for example, the GRA has stated that not one Garda has the training in respect of pursuit of people on these vehicles. The policy itself of non-pursuit is hugely problematic, hugely problematic. These ones, these gangs on these bikes and on these e-scooters know full well that they're not going to be pursued. They have to be pursued. The training has to be provided for them. And Tí Síochána, riddle me this, how is it that these vehicles have no requirement to be registered? Tí Síochána will respond. Thank you, Deputy. Tí Síochána will respond now, Deputy. Thank you. Tí Síochána, please. As I said, first of all, I mean, vehicles are being pursued on an ongoing basis. This idea that there's not pursuit. Sorry, I'm talking more generally. The idea that Garda Síochána do not pursue criminals or pursue activities. And yes, there has been cases, unfortunately, taken against Garda Síochána. And that's why the ministers are bringing in additional legislation to protect Garda Síochána while in pursuit of personnel. But even with that legislation, we all know judgment has to be applied in given situations because pursuits are dangerous in themselves, could be potentially dangerous to other bystanders, innocent bystanders or pedestrians. We had similar, in different times, situations like this, which ultimately we got a control of. It wasn't scramblers then gyrating and all of that. And we got control of that through various mechanisms working together. We have to do the same now here in terms of pursuing this issue. And the Minister for Transport, Sean Canning, will be back to the House in terms of that regulatory thing you talked about, regulations for e-scooters, or a ban on e-scooters. Thank you, Tí Síochána. Which I must say, I'm leaning towards myself. Very good.