The tragic death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch cruelly exposed one of the stark shortcomings of politics in Ireland: how promises and even enacted laws fail the public.
The problems with scrambler motorbikes in Ireland are hardly new. In 2018, a man sunbathing in a park near Darndale, Dublin, received catastrophic brain injuries when a scrambler ran over his head. Questions about the antisocial use of scramblers have been asked in the Dáil since 2005. In 2010, then minister for justice Dermot Ahern, in reply to a parliamentary question, said that section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 allowed gardaí to seize scrambler motorbikes in breach of road traffic legislation.
Ms Lynch’s death has prompted an urgency of action in Leinster House that has been noticeable. As Miriam Lord pointed out yesterday the Government has been jolted into making a meaningful response to a long-running problem for which there has been plenty of legislation but seemingly little real-life measures to stamp out dangerous and illegal use of scrambler motorbikes in urban areas of the country.
She also said that for once there was no mention of working groups or interdepartmental reports, rather promises of direct action.
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As we report today, a complete ban on the use of scramblers in public places is being planned by the Government in addition to stricter regulations for e-scooters and e-bikes.
The issue also dominated the meetings of the parliamentary parties of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael last night.
A motion for an outright ban tabled at the Fianna Fáil meeting by Senator Mary Fitzpatrick, on behalf of Dublin and Louth representatives, was passed unanimously.
“We recognise and acknowledge the distress, fear and harm being experienced in communities across Ireland where scramblers are being used in a dangerous, antisocial or intimidating matter,” she told the meeting.
Besides the ban, the motion also proposed an amnesty for scrambler users to hand in the machines; a refund scheme for those who surrendered the motorbikes; and stricter powers of seizing and impounding machines.
There were similar sentiments expressed at the Fine Gael meeting. Tánaiste Simon Harris outlined a number of actions that will be taken including the banning of scramblers in public places and the immediate confiscation of scramblers.
Further restrictions for e-scooters were also discussed, with it being pointed out that accidents involving them are now the cause of most traumatic brain injuries in children.
Minister criticises Met Éireann after flooding
As the east and southeast of the country brace for further heavy rains and flooding, there has been some political finger-pointing in relation to whether or not communities were adequately warned.
As Ronan McGreevy reports in our main lead, Minister for Housing James Browne criticised Met Éireann for its communication before Storm Chandra hit.
Browne is based in Wexford, which was worst affected by the storm. He said Met Éireann would be brought before an Oireachtas committee to explain its messaging in advance of the storm.
“I think we will be bringing Met Éireann in and saying that there needs to be an understanding here that information is not to be guarded. Information is to be put out there and we need to do a much better job of communication,” he told Southeast Radio.
Labour’s climate spokesman Ciarán Ahern criticised the comments, saying Mr Browne had attempted to shirk blame for communication failures in advance of Storm Chandra.
He said the comments were “extraordinary” and were designed to “distract and deflect” from the Government’s failure prepare properly for extreme weather events.
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Ellen Coyne reports that former Fianna Fáil presidential candidate Jim Gavin has resigned as chair of the northeast Inner City Taskforce.
Mary Lou McDonald’s husband, Martin Lanigan, has settled a defamation action against former government minister Shane Ross and his book publisher after they issued an apology in the High Court, Fiachra Gallagher reports.
Newton Emerson writes on comments made by former Irish diplomat Ray Bassett that the EU used Ireland as a “battering ram” against Brexit. He argues it is now time to undo the damage.
Tributes have been paid to former Labour TD for Waterford Brian O’Shea, who has died. Cormac McQuinn reports.
Playbook
The housing completion statistics for 2025 will be published by the Central Statistics Office later this morning. The 2024 figures, when published this time last year, disclosed that slightly more than 30,000 new homes had been built in 2024, 10,000 short of what had been predicted by then housing minister Darragh O’Brien in the run-up to the election.
Dáil Éireann
9am: Parliamentary Questions to Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon
10:24am: Parliamentary Questions to Minister for Higher Education James Lawless
12pm: Leaders’ Questions
1:57pm: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 – Second Stage
5:01pm: Private Members’ Bill: Regulation of Drones Bill 2025
19.01: Dáil adjourns
Seanad Éireann
11:15am: Private Members’ Business: Motion on Health Procurement
12:30pm: Government Business: Mental Health Bill 2024
2:30pm: Seanad adjourns
Committees
9:30am: Joint Committee on Children and Equality
Safety and wellbeing of Children Online
10:30am: Committee of Public Accounts
Questions to the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) on its 2024 Financial Statements.
The committee will engage with the CEA on topics such as case management, statements of strategy, An Garda Síochána secondment arrangements and staff and recruitment.
