Calls for Dublin City Council to do more to ensure scrambler legislation is enforced
Dublin City Council must take an active role in addressing illegal scramblers and the dangers they pose to the community.
That’s according to Fine Gael Councillor Gayle Ralph who, following the tragic death of 16 year old Grace Lynch , has tabled a motion calling for more coordination between An Garda Síochána and a stronger focus on youth division programmes. While the council’s response to the motion stated legislation around scramblers is a matter for central government, Cllr Ralph stressed that local authorities should play an active role in this matter.
“I know legislation is national and the gardai have seizure powers, but the impact, fear, and dangers are local. It affects all of our children. It affects all of our families, so I think the response must involve something to do with Dublin City Council,” she said.
Cllr Ralph is calling for additional enforcement and physical deterrents at scrambler hotspots, such as CCTV monitoring. She said that urgent steps are required to prevent further loss of life and “to reassure communities affected by this tragedy.”
“Communities aren’t really concerned whether the response sits technically with the gardai, they just want to know their kids are safe in parks and estates,” she said. Cllr Ralph asked that they write to the Minister for Justice and request "structural engagement” which includes consistent feedback on scrambler enforcement as well working together with the newly established Local Community Safety Partnership to address anti-social behaviour among young people.
Social Democrats Cllr Daniel Ennis supported the motion and stated that the death of Grace Lynch was “desperately sad,” especially considering councillors had previously debated illegal scrambler use at length at their September 2025 meeting. He said they wrote to the Minister for Justice at the time to highlight that a fatality was imminent but they "received no response and no action.”
Cllr Ennis said that Minister Jim O'Callaghan “needs to get his head out of the clouds” on this issue, “or at least take his head out of Dublin 4.” “Because it’s not happening in those communities.”
While legislation banning scramblers is welcome, Cllr Ennis believes that “unless it’s enforced” young people illegally using the bikes “simply don’t care.” He called for a dedicated policing plan that addresses communities we are currently “being terrorized” as “these lads don’t care about legalities, legislation, or regulations.”
While community garda are doing good and scramblers are being seized at “unprecedented levels,” he said this is “still not stopping it.” “The Minister for Justice needs to come down to the North Inner City, Finglas, and other communities being terrorized, because it’s not in Dublin 4 or your Foxrocks, it’s not happening over there,” Cllr Ennis said.
Cllr Christy Burke questioned the limits of Dublin City Council ’s ability to address illegal scramblers and asked if gardai confiscate a bike from a home under the tenancy of the council would that not allow the managers to take action. “I’m not saying we put an exclusion order on a 12 or 13 year old,” he said, but questioned if this would initiate powers of approach to the family.
Cllr Malachy Steenson said that “the problem isn’t scramblers” but those who use them, and that over the years the vehicle may have changed but the issue has remained the same. He believes it was not until a fatality occurred that the government took action and described the banning scramblers as "political pandering which will have no effect.”
“It’s already a crime to drive without insurance or a motorbike without a helmet. There’s umpteen laws,” Cllr Steenson said. He described the legislation as a “knee jerk reaction” and feared that unless real action is taken to enforce the law there will be another fatality in the near future.
Ireland has problems with properly legislating and enforcing laws according to Cllr Cieran Perry, who said the only reason the ban was announced so quickly was because of the amount of publicity Grace Lynch’s death received. He stated that “the political will isn’t there” to address crime at its source.
Cllr Perry called on the council to intervene and “stop criminality in the houses we provide.” “We allow drug dealing from our properties and people to store these bikes that terrorize our community,” he said.
“We all know where they are and it’s time to seriously tackle it. I’m cynical in my belief that it will happen,” he said.
Deputy Lord Mayor John Stephens agreed that action must be taken, but said “the way forward is to bring the community into this.” He called on the council to work with young people and actively help those in danger of falling into criminality.
“We have to work with these young guys as well and make sure they have an education, get them back on the path through division schemes. That’s the way forward in the long-term, to proactively deal with the community,” he said.
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