Cabinet pass Grace’s Law to ban scramblers in public places

This comes following the tragic death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch.

Speaking in the Dáil today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said legislation banning scramblers in public places will be called Grace’s Law.

This comes following the tragic death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch who died after being hit by a scrambler in Finglas in Dublin last month.

Speaking on his way into Cabinet, the Taoiseach said this came after a suggestion from Grace Lynch’s mother.

Regulations to implement a total ban on scramblers in public places were brought forward by Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, who added that the Government is ‘very serious’ about adding the ‘additional measures’ to the current law.

“The regulations that I got approval [from the Cabinet] to conclude their preparation, will be an outright ban on scramblers in all public places,” he explained.

Minister O’Brien added that the new law would ‘further strengthen’ the power of gardaí to seize and ‘where necessary’ to destroy the vehicles.

The new law is expected to be brought back to the Cabinet ‘in a matter of weeks’ pending the ‘legal definition’ of a scrambler, which they are ‘working through with the Attorney General.

“We will get that done,” he concluded.

The ban is expected to come into full effect in the coming weeks with a proposal to amend regulations and increase the daily fees accrued to a seized scrambler implemented until then.

The Dáil further heard today how Finglas is just one of many communities that have been affected by scramblers.

Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou Mary McDonald, called it ‘unforgivable’ that it took the teenager’s death for the Government to give Gardaí the powers to get rid scramblers from communities.

However, she continued to say the agreed regulations must be backed up by enforcement and Gardaí need the tools to do their jobs, adding that at the moment their hands are tied behind their back.