Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2026
476. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of scramblers seized by Gardaí under the Road Traffic (Control of Certain Vehicles) Regulations 2026, known as 'Grace's Law', in tabular form; and the number that were released by Gardaí after the payment of the fine of €125. [52615/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur road safety strategy takes a whole of government approach and is a shared responsibility. Development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, and the vital role of enforcing road traffic laws is carried out by An Garda Síochána.
To support An Garda Síochána, we now have an enhanced legislative framework following the signing into law of the Road Traffic (Control of Certain Vehicles) Regulations 2026, known as Grace's Law. Gardaí also have additional, and significant, legislative powers to combat the antisocial and dangerous misuse of scramblers, quad bikes, e-scooters and other such vehicles including under the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, and the Criminal Law Act 1997 and the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023.
I commend An Garda Síochána on the progress they have made regarding the seizure and detention of scrambler bikes and other such vehicles.
I am informed by Garda authorities of substantial increases in the seizure and detention of these vehicles when comparing the first quarter of 2026 against the full year of both 2024 and 2025.
The Garda Authorities has provided me with the below table which shows the total Scramblers, e-Scooters, e-Bikes and Quad Bikes which were seized in 2024, 2025 and the 1st quarter of 2026.
|
- |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 (1st Quarter) |
|
Scramblers |
165 |
159 |
94 |
|
e-Scooters |
310 |
931 |
754 |
|
e- Bikes |
144 |
237 |
140 |
|
Quad Bikes |
39 |
40 |
17 |
Please be advised that data on the number of seizures under 'Graces Law' cannot be provided by An Garda Síochána at this point as a quarterly validation of incidents must first be completed. Similarly data related to the number of scramblers released by Gardaí after the payment of a fine is not currently available.
