Financial assistance for projects in communities, opportunities for training and mentoring for young people are amongst the measures to be taken as part of a “community approach” in addressing the misuse of quads and scramblers.
Minister of State for law reform James Browne, along with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, has today (Monday, April 19) announced this new approach.
Minister Browne said that the anti-social use of quads and scramblers in both rural and urban communities “poses a potentially serious risk to public safety, as well as impacting negatively on residents’ enjoyment of their local area”.
He added that this initiative will complement the enhanced legislative provisions being prepared by the Minister for Transport “to provide a more coherent and tailored response to the issues connected with the anti-social use of scramblers and other vehicles”.
Local projects to tackle the misuse of quads and scramblers
The Department of Justice, in collaboration with An Garda Síochána and other partners, will now identify local communities most affected by the misuse of scramblers and quad bikes and invite applications from local consortiums for financial assistance for projects to promote pro-social use of these vehicles.
It is envisaged that these local projects will provide opportunities for training in vehicle handling, repair and maintenance. The projects will also include second-chance education, personal development and mentoring for young people who are interested in using these vehicles for sport and recreation purposes.
Minister Browne explained:
“The detailed admission criteria for participants will be determined at local level by each project and will reflect the admission and referral processes already in place for Garda Youth Diversion Projects [GYDPs].
“Participation will require a commitment by each young person to complete all aspects of the programme and to abstain from illegal or anti-social use of these vehicles.”
“The Department of Justice will prepare the detailed requirements for local project proposals and these requirements will be made available as soon as possible. Overall project costs will be met through the department’s budget for GYDPs.”
The use of quad bikes is becoming more and more common, especially on farms – with many farmers viewing their quad as essential.
However, there have been a number of fatalities involving quads in recent years and the potential for a serious accident when using a quad is high, according to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).