Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2026
249. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to list the youth diversion or community-based prevention programmes currently in place to address the antisocial use of scrambler bikes and quad bikes; the locations in which these programmes operate; the annual funding allocated; and the Garda divisions where no such programme is currently available. [10819/26]
View answerYouth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community-based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives which primarily seek to divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour away from formal engagement with the Criminal Justice System. There are 94 YDPs in operation and they are available nationwide to any young person who requires their services. It should be noted that YDPs are not aligned to Garda Divisional boundaries as they are not operated by An Garda Síochána.
As part of the suite of interventions offered by YDPs to address the needs of young people at risk of becoming or already involved in anti-social behaviour and criminality, a select number of YDPs located in Dublin and Limerick provide opportunities for their participants to engage in dedicated scrambler initiatives.
These programmes seek to educate young people participating in the anti-social recreational use of scramblers about vehicle maintenance and the safe use of vehicles, as well as allow them to take part in motocross and relevant personal development or educational activities. They also act as valuable platforms through which pro-social modelling can be demonstrated by Youth Justice Workers. €152,598 was allocated in funding for this specific initiative for 2026.
In addition to the YDPs, Waterford Local Community Safety Partnership received funding of €70,768 in 2024, through the Community Safety Fund, for ‘Getting Kilcohan Back on Track’. This is a short-term project, targeting anti-social behaviour related to e-scooters, e-bikes, and scramblers, focusing on road safety and responsible usage. The specially designed eight-week programme will be delivered six times over the course of the project, engaging 36 young people from the Kilcohan/Sacred Heart area of Waterford.
