Fianna Fáil Local Election candidate in Finglas Ballymun, Keith Connolly has criticised Fine Gael for abandoning communities across Dublin plagued by anti-social scrambler and quad bike use.
FG refused to support a Fianna Fáil bill aimed at addressing significant gaps in legislation regarding quad and scrambler bikes. However, the bill was passed through the Oireachtas at Second Stage yesterday despite the Government’s failure to support it. The Road Traffic (All-Terrain Vehicle and Scramble Motor-cycle) Amendment Bill 2019 will now progress to pre-legislative scrutiny at Committee Stage.
Connolly said, “The scourge of illegal scrambler and quad bike use in housing estates and on public green space has been consistently highlighted for the past decade. There have been several serious incidents since, not to mention countless near misses.
“There is no room for ambiguity – this is a crisis in anti-social behaviour and public safety. Fine Gael clearly have no concept of the problem.
“The close-knit communities I aim to represent in Finglas Ballymun are all exhausted from the trouble caused by scramblers and quads. They are frightened to step foot on their own doorstep. Some families have no choice but to keep their children in doors to keep them away from the potential harm or injury.
“These are honest, hardworking, law abiding Dubliners not associated with this anti-social behaviour in any way other than they continue to be plagued by it.
“It’s about time that Fine Gael realised their responsibility to stand up for decent communities and regulate the use of these vehicles for once and for all,” he concluded.
