Paul Murphy: Urges ban on scrambler sales after Grace's Law
Paul Murphy spoke in the Dáil about recent deaths and injuries linked to scrambler bikes, mourning 16-year-old Grace Lynch and other victims and urging immediate action. He called for the government to implement 'Grace's Law' and adopt wider preventative measures including a ban on general scrambler sales and investment in community safety.
Immediate remarks and condolences
He expressed condolences to the family of the person killed in the north inner city crash and to the family and friends of Grace Lynch, and paid tribute to Grace's mother for speaking out. He noted that legislation passed in 2023 - a regulation - could have been signed earlier and said it should not have taken this tragedy to force government action.
Policy demands and specific proposals
He urged banning the sale of scrambler bikes except to those who are in licensed clubs and called for targeted safety initiatives. He said investments should be made in diversion programmes, community outreach, sport and road safety measures to prevent harm.
Impact on working class communities
He argued the problem disproportionately affects working class areas and described it as a long-standing scourge in those communities. He shared constituent accounts, including a recent email from a woman who said she was forced off a path while pushing her four-month-old baby in a pram and that his eight-year-old daughter now refuses to go for local walks out of fear.
Prevention over enforcement alone
He said preventative, community-based measures will do more than relying on Gardaí to chase teenagers on bikes, stressing the need for long-term investment and diversion rather than only enforcement. He framed the measures as necessary to protect local communities and prevent further tragedies.
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Firstly, I want to express my condolences to the family of the person who has died in the awful crash, it sounds like, in the north inner city and those who have been injured and hope that there are no more deaths as a result. We were obviously here because of the tragic, awful death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch. I want to express my condolences to her family and friends. I also want to pay tribute to her mother in particular for the way that she spoke out so bravely and strongly and the consequence is now we're going to have Grace's Law. Of course, it shouldn't have had to be Grace's Law. This is legislation that was passed in 2023, a regulation, could have been signed at any point since then, but wasn't. It shouldn't have taken this tragedy to force action by the government because this isn't a new issue. It's an issue which particularly affects working class communities. It's been an issue for certainly the entire time I've been a TD in Dublin South West. It's been a scourge in working class communities, people trying to go and go for walks in parks or whatever and being faced with the threat of being run down by someone on a scrambler. I got an email just last week from a woman saying that on several occasions she'd been forced off the path while pushing my four-month-old baby in her pram as riders deliberately sped towards me and performed wheelies directly in front of us. My eight-year-old daughter now refuses to go for local walks out of fear of these bikes. And that's not new. That's not the first contact I've had. I've had many, many contacts over many, many years. And the safety of working class communities shouldn't be ignored until tragedy strikes. That means far wider reaching preventative measures to protecting our communities. It means banning the sale of scrambler bikes except to those who are in licensed clubs. It means investing in safety initiatives which target groups using scramblers. It means investment in diversion programs, community outreach, in sports and road safety, which will go a lot further than having Gardaí chase after teenagers on bikes. Deputy Brian Smith.
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