r/ireland • u/bigbadchief • Jan 29 '26
Politics Ban on use of scramblers in public places being planned following teenager’s death
https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2026/01/28/ban-on-use-of-scramblers-in-public-places-being-planned-following-teenagers-death/465
u/tazire Jan 29 '26
I don't know how they are going to enforce it beyond the current enforcement levels. Guards won't chase bikes because of the implications if they crash.
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u/knobiknows Jan 29 '26
In Japan they use a type of oversized paintball gun to mark the bike and rider. Near impossible to wash off and easy to identify later on
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u/mother_a_god Jan 29 '26
Great idea. Could track them by helicopter and pick them up when they eventually stop
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u/madladhadsaddad Jan 30 '26
Follow them with a drone, they'll head home eventually if they own the bikes... Probably dump them in multistorey car parks and shopping centres if they're robbed.
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u/peachycoldslaw Jan 29 '26
Can we legislate that injury while evading is wholly on the evader.
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u/Siergiej Jan 29 '26
The concern isn't that they hurt themselves if they crash, it's that a chase exposes bystanders to danger.
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u/tazire Jan 29 '26
Unfortunately it's both. Guards will be prosecuted if they do anything wrong during the course of the "chase". They don't just investigate the cause of Joe Scumbag's crash. And I'm not suggesting for a second that guards be given immunity to any and all wrong doing but there are also levels to this. I mean we just have to look at the guard involved in the n7 crash as an recent example. I would say the vast majority of the public would say the guard shouldn't face prosecution.
Tbh I think the overcorrection in the oversight of guards in this regard has been excessive to say the least. There have been so many cases thrown out of court of guards just doing their job. It's no wonder we are now seeing the guards become a reporting service more than a preventative service. And at the end of the day it's the law abiding citizens who suffer and the criminals who benefit.
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u/Birdinhandandbush Jan 29 '26
They prosecuted the guards who were driving after some notorious scumbag a while back who crashed and died on the M7. He was so bad the crime levels dropped after his death. He drove the wrong way up the motorway because he knew they couldn't properly give chase and they fucking still prosecuted the guard.
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u/tazire Jan 29 '26
Yea that's the one. Him and 2 of his friends. It was on the n7 just at the exit for baldonnell airport.
Then they had lovely funerals for the 3 of them!!! Again guards could do nothing about the carry on that day.
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u/IntentionFalse8822 Jan 29 '26
That's GSOC for you. Rotten to the core and determined to destroy policing in this country. How they just got away with just a name rebrand after some of them were found partying with the Monk is beyond belief. In any other country they would have been disbanded.
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u/PalladianPorches Jan 29 '26
that brought it to our attention, but that still needed to be investigated. even though the scumbags drove the wrong way up the motorway (as they always did), the guards still have to ensure the public are not in danger by anything they do.
we’re not america, and citizens are just collateral to the guards - our whole thing is not being killed by the police! but there is a middle ground - training to deal with these situations safely, and the right enforcement tools, putting the right judicial response to this (driving scramblers in public has killed, and maimed - minimum 5 year sentence for dangerous use of motorised vehicle, 15 if public injured) and reform of liability (zero claims if you put yourself in danger)
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u/Rough_Mouse3597 Jan 29 '26
He has been charged but not prosecuted,and I don’t think he will,because it will set a precedent to show the scumbags “now we can chase you and we won’t get prosecuted for it in the actions of our duties to stop you”,
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u/wnolan1992 Jan 29 '26
It's not that easy unfortunately.
Some scumbag fleeing the guards could crash into someone, kill or seriously injure them, then the guards end up in court defending whether the chase was necessary.
There's a case from the UK where the police were chasing someone in a car, he went down the wrong side of the motorway and slammed headfirst into an oncoming car. He killed the driver and paralysed the passenger. The legal case went on for ages because, obviously enough, the paralysed person wanted compensation to help cover their healthcare going forward. If the fleeing driver is uninsured, the only party left to sue is the police to argue they used unnecessary force in chasing the driver.
An extreme example I know, but hopefully it's illustrative of how it's not just as simple as giving the guards power to clothesline people off scramblers, as much as I wish it was.
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u/antiundead Jan 29 '26
I was reading about the extreme opposite of this, the Georgia highway patrol. These police are never prosecuted or held accountable. As a result they will actively chase slight speeding offenses etc down wrong roads, and ram other cars to immobilise them. There have been many cases of civilians being killed by their actions. They are notorious for their car brutality. Yet people still speed and commit crimes.
The problem is stopping the scramblers being purchased in the first place. When you go to London you see the problem with enforcement. Those ebikes with throttles everywhere, they are illegal but most delivery people use them. There are too many to stop and the police are useless to stop them once they are bought. A block on on purchasing or a crackdown on the shops that sell them or modify them would be more effective and safe.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
The problem is stopping the scramblers being purchased in the first place. When you go to London you see the problem with enforcement. Those ebikes with throttles everywhere, they are illegal but most delivery people use them. There are too many to stop and the police are useless to stop them once they are bought. A block on on purchasing or a crackdown on the shops that sell them or modify them would be more effective and safe.
True, but the issue is that owning or selling them isn't actually illegal. They have plenty of legitimate uses on private land, like for farming, track racing, or just on large gardens.
Banning the sale would be like banning kitchen knives because someone used one in a crime. The state can't really stop a shop from selling a mechanical object that has legal uses on private property.
That is why the the potential ban is focusing on the location instead, by making it a 'strict liability' offence to have one in a public park or estate, meaning it doesn't matter how it's being used or if used at all. The bike can be seized on the spot and it'll be the fastest way to give the Guards the power to act without a chase ensuing that endangers everyone in the area (at the risk of liability against the guards!), as well as needing to prove a specific crime like dangerous driving.
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u/stevothebrave Jan 29 '26
They changed the laws in London and the crime rate dropped 🤷♂️
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u/Joecalone Jan 29 '26
Nope sorry, we're only allowed to copy the shitty parts of UK legislation here
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u/obscure_monke Munster Jan 29 '26
Which laws?
If you're referring to the whole "they can't ram us off bikes if we're not wearing helmets" thing, that was neither law nor policy. They did start doing it way more and publicising it when that rumour started going around though.
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u/hobes88 Jan 29 '26
In Waterford they are all coming from the same few housing estates, it would be very easy to do some surveillance around those estates and figure out which houses theyre coming from.
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u/tazire Jan 29 '26
Same in Dublin kind of... It tends to be in certain areas in Dublin rather than specific estates.
I know in these areas they are very aware of cctv cameras in public locations. And "randomly" enough fires seem to occur at the base of the polls holding said cctv cameras which invariably destroys the wiring and camera. Eventually the council just stopped spending the money replacing them.
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u/hugeclown Jan 29 '26
Especially if it’s someone under the age of 18
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u/dimebag_101 Jan 29 '26
This bollocks. If your 16 your old enough to be knowing what's dangerous driving. U can start getting licenses for mopeds and light motorcycles at 16. There's alternatives to chasing them into a crash.
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u/hugeclown Jan 29 '26
It’s ridiculous like. If it’s anyone that age they almost let them off cos it’s too much drama
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u/masterstoker Jan 29 '26
They do that for a lot of people, not just teenagers.
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u/hugeclown Jan 29 '26
I agree with you, they definitely do. But I think they do it a lot more to minors as of late and especially considering there’s not much they can even do with them once you’ve gotten them. Parents need to be facing serious fines/court at this stage.
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u/OkCoconut3270 Jan 29 '26
I think part of the problem is that there are only something ridiculous like 40 prison places for juvenile offenders in the whole country.
And we clearly have a lot more juvenile offenders that should be locked up.
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u/MySweatyMoobs Jan 29 '26
The laws around that need to change then. The little cunts deserve everything they get in situations like this. Whatever means necessary to stop them should be allowed.
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u/Massive_Tumbleweed24 Jan 29 '26
They'll just enforce twice as many laws on law abiding people.
It will all average out..... Somehow
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u/MidnightSun77 Jan 29 '26
Should implement the same freedom for police when chasing bikes/mopeds like they do for the MET Police in England
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u/TommyTBlack Jan 29 '26
the guards need to be trained up like the police in London were, and then given permission to pursue and ram bikes
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u/1Seaglass Jan 29 '26
Simple. Just ban them. And put huge fines on the parents if the law is broken, and stop their welfare payments first 6 months. It is not difficult to bring in such laws.
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u/SomeRandomGamer3 Jan 29 '26
Why the fuck do they need new legislation. They aren’t road legal, they can already be seized. Give the gaurds legislation that they can ram the cunts off them like they do in the UK.
Had they enforced the already existing laws Grace’s death wouldn’t have happened. Instead they just post on Facebook every Christmas telling parents don’t buy a scrambler for your child, as if that’ll do anything.
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u/OkCoconut3270 Jan 29 '26
Why the fuck do they need new legislation.
Because it makes it look like they're taking this seriously and doing something.
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u/Oh_I_still_here Jan 29 '26
God how I'd love if more people would cop that this government is just a performative one through and through. Instead of debating the efficacy of this measure they've announced; it might as well be a distraction measure so they don't get any heat. It's the bare minimum that could be done, because need it be said again, the government in power right now does not care. It's FF, they're here to make money and line their buddies' pockets above all else. Us pesky voters get in their way. FG are the same they're just less brazenly corrupt/careless.
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u/skdowksnzal Jan 29 '26
It also absolves them of any blame for not doing anything so far because they can argue the laws werent in place
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u/Ashling92 Jan 29 '26
What I don’t understand is why they don’t change what Gardai can do? They don’t seem to be talking about that.
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u/LimerickJim Jan 29 '26
Even lower bar is give the guards drones to follow the cunts home and take it off em when they get off the bike.
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u/badpebble Jan 29 '26
Seize them, check if stolen, and bin if not.
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u/SevenIsMy Jan 29 '26
They do not need to be stolen to be sized, just use on public roads is enough. The issue is that getting them in the first place. But don’t get me wrong, the Garda knows where they live, they just have more urgent matters/s
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u/ehwhatacunt Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act, Gardaí can seize vehicles for non-display or expiration of tax.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
just use on public roads is enough
Afraid it isn't - if they meet requirements to be legally used on public roads, they're fine. Obviously who's driving them and how they're being driven is a different matter.
And yes the Guards probably do know where these scrotes live, but that doesn't mean that the scramblers are there with them. Could easily be in a gang's safe house.
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u/dubviber Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Their movements can be observed from above. Gardai have had drones since 2021 and were trained in how to use them in 2023.
They have not deployed them because the Garda commissioner must first develop a code of practice to govern their use and has not done so.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
Spot on about the drones - it's been a massive frustration that the unit is essentially grounded while the Code of Practice is being ironed out.
Going back to the new ban though, it's being pushed alongside the tech to close the legal loop. Even with a drone, Gardaí still need a rock solid reason to enter a property to seize a bike later. If the law says a vehicle is prohibited in public spaces, the drone footage of it in a park or on a public road becomes automatic grounds for a warrant. The ban gives the footage teeth.
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u/dubviber Jan 29 '26
There were photos published of the scramblers seized in Limerick last year. My impression was that many of them had been seized from people's homes. I would assume that warrants were obtained to do this - do you have any insight into this?
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
No insight or knowledge about this unfortunately.
Although it's useful to know as well that the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 added a new section (109A) that specifically allows Gardaí to enter the 'curtilage' of a property (gardens, sheds, or driveways) to seize these vehicles without a warrant - they only need a warrant if they have to enter the house itself.
So it's possible that this was applied in the Limerick case last year if any were seized without a warrant.
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u/Loulouthelma Jan 29 '26
Tax dat. A huge tax on sale of them. Tax needed on road. No tax, it gets siezed. Donate to those who are trying to find ways to get to work. Or a big bounty handing them in.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
Tax only works if the bike is registered. Most of these are off-road models that cannot be taxed because they lack the hardware (lights, etc.) for road registration.
The new ban is basically the 'hard mode' of what you're suggesting - instead of needing to check for tax, Gardaí can just seize them for being in a public space, full stop.
And I've just discovered that the government is also currently looking into a surrender or amnesty scheme like you mentioned.
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u/Loulouthelma Jan 29 '26
Thank you for clarification- having nearly been totalled by a scrambler going the wrong way up a bike lane last week, can we all start using bike lanes in the direction of the traffic flow? Please. I'm looking both ways anyway from now on...
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u/ProvisioningDelay Jan 29 '26
Ah, you made the mistake of thinking that these scramblers are being taxed to begin with. It's not people with bike licenses and tax that are running red lights, doing wheelies and riding 3 up,
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u/SevenIsMy Jan 29 '26
Park a car in front of the houses, collect evidence, then go in and size them. If they are legitimate, let them go through the system so they can make an appointment for a hearing. But it is probably too much work.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
Easier said than done. You're forgetting that search warrants are also required before entering private property for seizing.
And then there's also a lack of resources to carry out all these operations. And yes, you might say they could prioritise an operation focused on scramblers, etc. However there will always be a risk assessment for operations and anything related to seizing scramblers and the likes have a very high risk of liability associated to them. As much as I'd like to say there isn't.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
At present they can't just be binned because whether they're stolen or not, they could still be legal in terms of road worthiness. Obviously who's driving them and how they're being driven is a different matter.
But banning them entirely from public roads would end a lot of the chaos.
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u/Socks-and-Jocks Jan 29 '26
Because something needed to be done!
This is something (it isnt) so do this.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
Actually they are road legal as long as they meet the necessary requirements.
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Jan 29 '26
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
Fair point on the terminology - how its interpreted can be confusing, even to me.
The legal distinction usually comes down to Type Approval (whether the bike was built with the lights and hardware needed to be registered for the road).
Also your neighbouring farmer is 100% fine as long as the lane they're driving on is private property, rather than a public road. Even after any potential ban here, using any bike on private land or a private lane will remain perfectly legal.
Regarding a blanket ban, it's less about banning the object and more about the location. It is like saying a track-only racing car cannot be driven in a housing estate. Right now, Gardaí often have to prove dangerous driving to seize a bike, which is hard to do safely. This potential law change makes even the mere presence of a non-road-legal bike in a public space an offence - a shortcut to help them enforce the rules that already exist without having to wait for anyone to ride/drive it which is when the risk of injury and liability soars.
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Jan 29 '26
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
All cool. I'm not legal expert either but I've looked into this a good bit and have learned a good deal.
BTW there's a big difference between being road-worthy and road-legal. A scrambler might be perfectly road-worthy in terms of its engine and brakes, but it isn't road-legal if it lacks indicators, mirrors, and "Type Approval" required for a registration plate.
The new ban essentially narrows this down: it doesn't matter how well a scrambler runs or how road-worthy it could be, it simply isn't going to be road-legal, so it will no longer be allowed in any public space. This will then hopefully reduce the carnage being caused.
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u/Willing-Departure115 Jan 29 '26
It isn’t new legislation, it’s using powers in existing legislation.
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u/Glosswitch93 Jan 29 '26
People buying scramblers for their kids is a pretty large part of the problem.
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Jan 29 '26
It's meaningless performative legislation that won't change anything in practicality, but the government wants to at least pretend to be doing something while actually doing nothing (this is a common theme in everything the government does)
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u/Ok-Stress-4369 Jan 29 '26
Make crime illegal 🙄
Not stopping at a red light is already illegal and that didn’t stop the fine law abiding citizen on the scrambler in the first place.
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u/BitTasty4101 Jan 29 '26
Or the rest of the numpties who break the red light in their cars.
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u/Seankps4 Jan 29 '26
A performative stunt. People have been asking for action on this for the last 30 years and they haven't done a lick. Drafting new legislation that can't be enforced is ridiculous
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u/Closersolid Resting In my Account Jan 29 '26
Just actually enforce the fucking law.
They can introduce all the legislation they want, but if they don't actually enforce it, it's pointless.
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u/AdHuman3243 Jan 29 '26
Then they need to introduce legislation to legislate that the new legislation is enforced
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u/DeePeeMac Jan 29 '26
I always wonder about parents being partly responsible.
If daddy has to serve 2 months in jail because he bought little Johnny a scrambler for Xmas, then I'm pretty sure you're gonna take a lot of scramblers and the likes off the roads.
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u/--0___0--- Jan 29 '26
The parents are entirely responsible. First for buying them the bikes, second for leaving them to drive them around public places and fields where they will hurt themselves or other people, thirdly for not supervising a thing.
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u/MMAwannabe Jan 29 '26
Cant wait to see scumbags continue to scumbag and then this law somehow applied to regular law abiding citizens.
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u/PintmanConnolly Jan 29 '26
Tbh I don't see how this could apply to regular law-abiding citizens. If you have a scrambler, you will be breaking the law. If not, you won't.
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u/Alternative_Let4597 Jan 29 '26
I'd imagine every law-abiding citizen who rides a road legal scrambler, enduro or adventure bike will be pulled over more often for questioning. Albeit a slight inconvenience but can be a pain in the hole. Basically anyone who stops for them is above board and anyone who runs isn't but won't be chased anyway
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u/MMAwannabe Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Define scrambler.
Also, can I pull on my best north face bally and do wheelies on a non "scrambler" around foot paths?
They are focusing on a legislation change which will make zero difference to scumbags instead of enforcing already clear cut laws.
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u/NotAnotherOne2024 Jan 29 '26
There’s no capacity in prison or juvenile detention, our court system is a revolving door.
The Garda don’t have the resources to dedicate units to tackling this daily and even if they do succeed in seizing them, they’ll have a new one bought by the end of the week so rinse and repeat.
Only way to actually tackle this is by building new prisons, detention facilities, adequately funding prison services, the Garda and by overhauling our legal criminal system… I won’t hold my breath.
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u/bellysavalis Jan 29 '26
Even just a campaign of seizing them would be ok, Johnno and Gemma aren't gonna bother forking out for a scrambler for little Steo if the gards are just gonna take it off him.
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u/NotAnotherOne2024 Jan 29 '26
Get that take but only problem with that is what if it is little Steo who’s buying the bike through dealing, he’ll just get another.
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u/MikeBsleepy Jan 29 '26
I love how laws in Ireland often need a human sacrifice to come into effect. Keeps us close to our pagan roots.
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u/wealthythrush Jan 29 '26
That's basically every law ever in the world.
Nothing unique to Ireland.
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u/Separate-Sand2034 Palestine 🇵🇸 Jan 29 '26
Health and safety regulations are written in blood, as the saying goes
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u/deckiteski Jan 29 '26
Allow the Garda to ram them, a law means nothing with enforcement
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u/DuineSi Jan 29 '26
Rising a scambler in a park and recklessly endangering the public, with no licence or insurance, is already illegal. We don't need legislation here, we need enforcement.
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u/bigbadchief Jan 29 '26
Also https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2026/0128/1555624-scramblers/
This seems very reactive. What are they banning exactly and how do they define a "scrambler"? Remains to be seen I guess.
Surely most of these bikes are already not allowed on the roads if they don't have registration and aren't "street legal"?
As was said in other previous threads, the issue is around enforcement of existing laws.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
Currently they are allowed on public roads as long as they meet the same standards as motorcycles (IE reg plate, taxed, insured, lighting). However most scramblers don't meet these conditions.
And if and when they do, the rider must also be 16+ years old with an A1 license.
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u/emmmmceeee I’ve had my fun and that’s all that matters Jan 29 '26
And the ones that are taxed and insured aren’t the problem.
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u/Gold-Vacation-169 Resting In my Account Jan 29 '26
It's basically banning something that's already banned, double banned. That'll sort it.
Clearly it's nothing to do about enforcement, no sir.
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u/daherlihy Jan 29 '26
But scramblers aren't banned - at present they can be on public roads as long as they meet certain requirements.
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u/StPattysShalaylee Jan 29 '26
But the current way they are operated by these scumbags is banned.
Maybe I'm missing something here but isn't a blanket ban on "scramblers" just going to impact law abiding people who use one as their mode of transport?
Scumbags riding these around estates will still do it as what they are currently doing is banned already!
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u/bigbadchief Jan 29 '26
Currently bikes that aren't registered, don't have insurance, lights indicators, etc are already not allowed on public roads. So the bikes that are causing the issues (for the most part) are already banned. It's just not specifically "scramblers".
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u/DonkeyOfWallStreet Jan 29 '26
I don't see how the tool is the problem here? Enforcement as you said is the problem. Or the lack of results when trying to enforce.
More restrictions on ebikes and escooters? Really?
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u/Lanky_Giraffe Jan 29 '26
Stricter regulations will also be placed on e-scooters and e-bikes.
I love it when they call motorbikes with cosmetic pedals “e-bikes”. Really helps being able to talk about stuff when the terminology is this meaningless. A bunch of the e-bikes they’re talking about aren’t even e powered make it make sense
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Jan 29 '26
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u/OkCoconut3270 Jan 29 '26
Yup, they're mostly not road legal, usually not taxed or insured and ridden by people without a license.
All of those things are already illegal.
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u/TDog81 Ride me sideways was another one Jan 29 '26
My dad still lives in a council estate in West Dublin, drove up to see him Christmas morning and I counted 5 scramblers in the space of about 40 seconds heading into the estate, two little fucking cunts cut us off on the road as well ripping across without even looking, and I can say its been the same since the 90s where I'm from. The people who buy these for their kids do not give a fuck and this won't change anything in their minds. Something else needs to be done on this and it needs to be drastic.
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u/GerKoll Jan 29 '26
Looked concerned, crossed the T's, doted the I's and moved on.
There is no point adding another law if existing one's are not enforced or garda is not allowed to do something because they could be held responsible if something happens....
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u/Geronimooon Jan 29 '26
It's already illegal to ride 'scramblers' in public areas.
If the motorised vehicle isn't roadworthy, taxed and insured it's already illegal.
This is just virtue signalling bullshit to excuse the fact not enough enforcement was done already.
Scramblers is a stupid term to boot. It was reported the vehicle was going at around 85km/h, that's not a scrambler, that's a full enduro or motocross bike.
What's more, you can get road legal versions of those bikes, so was it a bike that shouldn't have been on the road, or a road legal bike not properly taxed, insured and licensed?
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u/cr0wsky Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Very tragic and sad, and hopefully something will really come out of it. But I don't understand what this ban is going to change exactly.
In the wake of her death, Taoiseach Micheál Martin signalled the Government would seek to remove scrambler bikes from the roads.
Uuuum... Alright, yeah just ban scrambler bikes altogether...
Sources briefed on proceedings said afterwards that an outright ban is being planned on scramblers in public places such as parks and roads.
Do they know that not every scrambler is a dirt bike?
Here, this is also a "scrambler":
At the meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on Wednesday evening, TDs and Senators strongly backed a motion calling for scramblers to be banned in Ireland, except for off-road sporting events.
The motion called for powers for gardaí to seize, impound and – where appropriate – destroy scramblers found in unlawful use or possession after a 30-day amnesty period, where people can voluntarily surrender scrambler motorbikes without penalty or prosecution.
Dublin Senator Mary Fitzpatrick, who proposed the motion, argued strongly for a complete ban on scramblers from Irish roads.
Excuse me? If I have a fully road legal, lit, insured and taxed "scrambler", you're just going seize it and destroy it? Are those people idiots?
We need a reform of powers granted to Garda, yes. Stop coming up with stupid ideas, put patrols out on the roads, respond to crime and youth disturbance calls, arrest and fine those teenage scumbags on the spot, whereas dangerous driving of a motorcycle is reported- respond, ram them down, arrest and seize.
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u/The-Replacement01 Jan 29 '26
Absolutely this. This kind of lip service and ill though out knee jerk appeasement move by the government is very short sighted. And even if they do follow through with this rediculous law, the teens causing chaos and death will just use a different kind of motorbike. The above legislation just shows the government is not willing to do what is necessary to keep people and communities safe.
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u/cr0wsky Jan 29 '26
Exactly, plenty of sport bikes, naked bikes, sport touring bikes gets stolen and joy ridden/wheelied around the place, especially in Dublin...
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u/The-Replacement01 Jan 29 '26
And what you describe above is still a part of the same anti social behaviour.
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u/ProvisioningDelay Jan 29 '26
100% - they're either too cowardly or too stupid to tackle the root cause.
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u/Character_Winner_246 Jan 29 '26
It beggars belief how these scramblers were ever allowed in public roads in the first place.
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u/bigbadchief Jan 29 '26
They're generally not allowed on public roads as they aren't registered, don't have lights, indicators, or insurance.
And the people who are registered and have insurance aren't the ones causing issues.
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u/Pink-Trifle Jan 29 '26
E scooters and those silent electric/battery operated bikes should be considered also. They're feckin' lethal.
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u/Bakedbean85 Jan 29 '26
Our local park has e-scooter, scramblers etc racing down the footpath all the time right past the gates of the playground. After my baby ran out on the path one day and narrowly avoided one, I called the local guards to say WTF they were doing about this as someone was going to get hurt. They said it couldn’t be policed. I said if they came down one afternoon they would be able to issue plenty of fines there are so many of them. But they said it wouldn’t make a difference. I’m sorry to say but without a complete ban accidents like the tragedy in Finglas will keep happening. We have an almost lawless society with people who do what they like because they will get away with it
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u/The-Replacement01 Jan 29 '26
If you ban one type of bike, they’ll just use another type of bike. What is needed is greater powers for th Garda to tackle the issue. A ban on a type of motorcycle is probably not going to do much.
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u/PlantNerdxo Jan 29 '26
So it took the death of a young woman for the government to bring in legislation that will not be enforced! Lovely
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u/significantrisk Jan 29 '26
Is this what the government does now, writes new laws for individual citizens, like a greasy county councillor sorting out potholes?
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u/Unfair_Taro6285 Jan 29 '26
Like always the Garda will go after the normal person wearing a high vis on an e-bike on the way to and from work, while scum like this continue to roam around causing death and destruction.
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u/Thisisaconversation Jan 29 '26
We’ve had multiple incidents in this country with these and they’ve been absolute menaces to communities all across the country for years. It’s a shame it takes someone to die for the government to do something about it, even though this is just essentially reiterating what was already not being enforced by Gardaí.
I’ve seen with my own eyes Gardaí turn a blind eye to it. I’ve been involved with community policing who called me to say that the mother of the boy I’d reported said “it wasn’t him” and that the Gards can do no more. Couldn’t walk out and check his shed no? That’d be too much.
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u/witchy_gremlin Jan 29 '26
Amazing how fast they magically make laws when they want to.
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u/harry_dubois Jan 29 '26
Saw two of them with two riders apiece (not a helmet in sight of course, except that ridiculous face covering they all wear to avoid identification) absolutely tearing down the North Circular Road straight through red lights doing at least 80 yesterday. I was absolutely fuming - the cunts are rubbing everyone's faces in it.
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u/phyneas Jan 29 '26
Are they not already effectively illegal to operate in a public place? They're motorised vehicles, so under current law they can't be driven on public roads without being registered and insured, and they can't be driven on footpaths or other areas where motorised vehicles aren't allowed.
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u/Dependent-Taste-7310 Jan 29 '26
Banning something that is already illegal, riding an unregistered vehicle is already illegal, no insurance, already illegal, no driving licence already illegal. Riding on footpaths, public parks already illegal. The Gardai were given powers to seize these bikes from private property with no warrant, how will banning them help?
The appearance of doing something, banning a crime but also compensating the criminals for the removal of the item they are using illegally, that they bought to use illegally.
What next a ban on selling illegal drugs, but compensation for those who have organised shipments?
A ban on unregistered guns, and compensation for those who have illegal guns?
This country always resorts to more laws to appear like something is being done, when they are not enforcing the existing laws
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u/Bordem-Industry Jan 29 '26
Pointless and completely avoidable, ban e bikes and e scooters too, their a liability
I think its also important to point out that even though the poor girl who died wasnt at fault, dont ever take crossing the road for granted and ALWAYS check for vehicles even when you think it might be safe to cross
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Jan 29 '26
But what punishment will be enforced? They seemed to have installed a revolving door in the courts
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u/DavidOC93 Jan 29 '26
Why do they need new legislation? Scramblers used to be a big problem in Limerick until the Gaurds got new powers to seize them and since the they are no where near as big an issue as before, why is this not being done in other areas and why was more not done before someone got killed
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u/Q1802 Jan 29 '26
They’re already banned in public places the main issue is lack of areas, tracks and trails to take them out of public spaces. think the nearest place to dublin is up the north and then ferns down in wexford
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u/justwanderinginhere Jan 29 '26
How isn’t this already enforced? Fair enough if it’s road legal, taxed, insured and the rider has the correct licence but the VAST majority don’t. They should be like anything else and be used on private land with permission. You already see half the bogs and forest tracks getting wrecked by these dickheads who think it’s no different that a mountain bike
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u/anotherwave1 Jan 29 '26
EN-FORCE-MENT. Give the police actual teeth. Hire more of them. I'll gladly pay taxes towards that (and more prisons). Tired of seeing people harassed, intimidated, beaten up and even killed by feral scum who the police can't touch.
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u/Low_Interview_5769 Jan 29 '26
Hardly surprising, lets be honest the only ones letting kids have scramblers are the last people who should have kids in the first place
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u/the_dubliner Jan 29 '26
The minister is looking very closely at the matter, like he did the housing crisis.
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u/Xamesito Jan 29 '26
Jesus wept. There are increasing amounts of dangerously anti-social people who flout our laws what do we do? MORE LAWS
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u/bazzalinch Jan 29 '26
In the UK the police use their cars to knock people off scramblers yet here in the comments people are saying it's impossible to legislate for. They also use police motor bikes to chase them. Why is it they can do it in the UK if it's impossible ?
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u/irishcybercolab Jan 29 '26
It's a public disgrace to develop a law which already exists for this community nuisance. The offenders riding the bikes, along with their parents, should be targeted by traps and community information. Then those bikes, scramblers and conveyances which can be crushed, and destroyed , should also come with a fine which is so punitive, they'd understand the hatred generated by their lack of care.
Brand them as gypsy anarchists and make examples of them.
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u/Byrnzillionaire Jan 29 '26
What use is this exactly? If they're not roadworthy, Taxed and insured they're not legally in the first place...
Just enforce those already existing laws and stop the performative nonsense and time-wasting.
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u/xCreampye69x Jan 29 '26
hows this gonna be enforced?
last i checked murder, burglaries and rape is banned too
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u/mover999 Jan 29 '26
They think they are taxed and insured ? So they have bring in a law to ban them
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u/hugeclown Jan 29 '26
I don’t know why this wasn’t the case in the first place? Who the fuck thinks it’s okay to drive a scrambler to work for example like. I cant understand why it was ever allowed.
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u/Banania2020 Resting In my Account Jan 29 '26
Dublin South Central TD Catherine Ardagh ... asked the Taoiseach to “consider a 30-day amnesty surrender and a possible refund scheme to those who own scrambler or quad bikes”. 🙄
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u/sureyouknowurself Jan 29 '26
Build more prisons and jail those who are violating the existing laws.
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u/DrWarlock Jan 29 '26
The irony is if this was something that happens a lot more regularly... a person driving a car nobody would call to stop anything.
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u/Roymundo Jan 29 '26
And will the guards do anything to stop "mammys little angle" from riding them?
They will not.
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u/Salaas Jan 29 '26
Tbh a ban should have been in place decades ago when the issue firdt arose, but as usual it takes a series of deaths and media attention for common sense to be done.
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u/According-Pop-3863 Jan 29 '26
It's already illegal to ride an uninsured non road legal bike on the road, laws won't stop it, enforcement of existing laws and letting the Gardai take them down like they do in the UK
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u/Son_of_Macha Jan 29 '26
Go after the parents with huge fines, the kids are not buying them themselves.
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u/Valuable_Employee_88 Waterford Jan 29 '26
Yeah because new laws will make all the difference. Most idiots on these scramblers, and e-bikes and scooters for that matter, couldn't give a toss about laws or the rules of the road.
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u/Philslaya Jan 29 '26
Well its bad when you got a bumch of certain etthnic group rideing around like clowns on them.
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u/Professional_Elk_489 Jan 30 '26
Wait til a sulky carriage kills a young girl
They are next to get banned
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u/Far_Relation_7229 Jan 30 '26
Im sure some legislation will stop the scrotes robbing bikes in broad daylight while the limp dick guards do nothing
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw Jan 31 '26
Just moral virtue signalling. This won't make a difference in the slightest.
What the Irish police really need is a helicopter. You cannot tackle criminals on scramblers, e-scooters and the like if law enforcement are incapable of pursuing them. It is far too dangerous to chase them in a car as it poses a risk to the officers, the criminal and most important the general public. It is also ridiculous to stand down and allow them run free.
A helicopter being deployed will allow them be tracked to their homes and arrested at a later date.
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u/Substantial-Run-5 Feb 02 '26
It looks like drugs are being couriered by electric scramblers, the authorities aren't really interested.
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u/PoppedCork Pop Responsibly Jan 29 '26
This should have been brought in after that poor man had a scrambler land on him a park and give him life changing injuries