Just days before a young girl in Dublin was killed by a scrambler, a Government Minister said he and the Department of Transport were “satisfied with the current regulations” around the bikes.
The community of Finglas has been thrown into a state of mourning after 16-year-old Grace Lynch was killed by a scrambler bike on Ratoath Road on Sunday afternoon. She was struck by the vehicle and taken to hospital, where she later died of her injuries.
An 18-year-old man has since been charged with dangerous driving in relation to the incident.
Judge Áine Clancy has reportedly heard that there is CCTV footage of a scrambler motorcycle running through a red light at a pedestrian crossing, followed by another bike which then hit the girl as she was crossing the street, ultimately leading to her untimely death.
However, just ten days prior to the tragedy, Minister Sean Canney, who is Minister of State at the Department of Transport, was asked in a Parliamentary Question “if he is satisfied that existing legislation is sufficient in dealing with the misuse of scrambler bikes and e-scooters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.”
Canney replied that both he and his Department were satisfied with the existing rules.
“Both I and my Department are satisfied with the current regulations in place,” he said.
“However, the Department of Transport does intend to consider mandating helmets for e-scooter users if the evidence supports such a change.”
He noted that the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 “includes provisions to tackle dangerous driving and the antisocial use of scramblers and quadbikes”.
He said that the law now treats dangerous driving as a criminal offense regardless of where it occurs, meaning the rules apply on private property just as strictly as they do on public roads. To ensure these rules are followed, he said that the Gardaí have been granted expanded powers to seize vehicles, while new regulations allow authorities to restrict or completely ban certain types of vehicles from specific areas.
He noted that enforcement of road traffic legislation is “ultimately a matter for An Garda Siochána.”
“Gardaí can stop e-scooter user and fine them for specific fixed charge offences, including using an e-scooter in a pedestrianised street or area or on a footpath. The fine for these offences is €50.”
Gript contacted Minister Canney to ask if, with the benefit of hindsight, he is still of the view that the existing legislation is adequate. However, no reply was received.
While the government has the authority to ban or limit specific vehicle types in certain areas, this power hasn’t been put into practice yet. The Department of Transport is currently carrying out a consultation process to fine-tune the upcoming regulations.
Their self-stated goal is to ensure the new rules are precise, targeting the right types of transport and the specific locations where they cause the most issues before officially rolling them out.