Mary Lou McDonald: 'Time to give Gardaí the tools to rid communities of the scourge of scramblers and e-scooters'
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald says the country needs tougher enforcement to protect communities being plagued by scramblers and e-scooters speeding down their streets, along their footpaths and through their parks
High-powered scramblers and e-scooters are a scourge on communities and pose a real danger for our young people.
Last January, the tragic death of sixteen-year-old Grace Lynch provoked huge anger.
Grace was killed when she was struck by a speeding scrambler while crossing the road to meet her boyfriend.
The heartbreak of Grace's family and the outpouring of grief from the local community in Finglas was felt right across the country. Yet in the days following her funeral, I witnessed scramblers being driven dangerously through my own neck of the woods in Cabra.
We thought we had reached a turning point in April when the government moved to ban scramblers in public spaces.
However, three months after “Grace’s Law” came into effect, communities are still plagued by scramblers and e-scooters speeding down their streets, along their footpaths and through their parks.
Neighbourhoods are still tormented by gangs using scramblers and e-scooters to deliver drugs, to harass and intimidate people, and to create a constant atmosphere of menace.
Grace Lynch’s father, Martin has said that it makes his blood boil to see scramblers still be being used on public roads.
Only three weeks ago, fourteen-year-old Jayden Deans was seriously injured after he was struck by a scrambler in a hit and run. Jayden, who has additional needs, was walking to shops on Amiens Street in Dublin’s north inner city.
He was hit as he crossed the road at the Five Lamps near Portland Row. His distressed family were then taunted by the gang as they went to help the young lad. In the wake of the incident, locals spoke of how scramblers have created a climate of real fear in the area.
All of this makes one thing clear - tougher laws alone won’t get the job done. We need tougher enforcement. The Gardaí must be given the tools they need to combat the problem.
They are expected to stop scramblers and e-scooters terrifying from communities but they are hamstrung. Gardaí are still pleading for specialised training when it comes to the pursuit of these high-powered vehicles.
It beggars belief that this training is not already in place. It puts Gardaí on the back foot. Many feel they are fighting a losing battle.
Those using these vehicles illegally to torment communities still believe they can do what they want, when they want.
The dangers posed by e-scooters to the safety of children and young people is becoming clearer by the day.
At the end of June, seventeen-year-old Janis Ozols died from injuries he sustained after he fell from an e-scooter he was riding in Carlow Town. Another young person who life ended far too soon, another family devastated.
There was widespread shock this week when we learned that half of intensive care beds at Temple Street were occupied by children with brain injuries due to e-scooter crashes.
Alarmingly, six children were placed on life-support in the space of a fortnight. Doctors have described the spike in e-scooter related injuries as an “epidemic.”
They also warned of children being left with life-long brain injuries. One doctor said that some of the children he treated will never be the same again.
The Oireachtas Committee heard how e-Scooters are being marketed to kids as young as six - vehicles with tops speeds of sixteen kilometres per hour! These scooters are not toys. They are high-powered vehicles that pose a real threat if not used safely.
Talk to any community plagued by scramblers and e-scooters and they will tell you the truth – the problem is getting worse. Talk to any parent whose child has been killed or injured in a crash and they will tell you more needs to be done.
But the government’s response is far too slow again. We need stronger laws and tougher enforcement. Gardaí need greater powers, better training and more severe penalties with real teeth.
Those who use scramblers and e-scooters for criminality and to terrify communities need to know that they won't get away with it and that they will pay a heavy price.
We also need an impactful public information and awareness campaign on the dangers that e-scooters pose to children and young people.
If we don’t see action soon, more children and teenagers will end up in hospital, more families will be left devastated, and more communities will be tormented by scramblers and e-scooters speeding through their neighbourhoods.
We already had enough time-wasting from government. It’s time for a real crackdown on scramblers and e-scooters.
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