Scrambler bike crackdown demanded after Finglas teenager’s death

The death of Finglas teenager Grace Lynch has renewed calls for urgent action on scrambler bikes, with local TDs warning that communities have feared such a tragedy for years.

Labour TD Marie Sherlock said the fatal collision, in which Grace Lynch was struck by a scrambler, must mark a turning point, and she has called for an immediate nationwide freeze on all scrambler bikes while a comprehensive enforcement and safety strategy is put in place.

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of Grace Lynch,” she said.

“A young life has been lost in circumstances that were entirely preventable.

“This is the nightmare parents, residents and public representatives have been warning about for years.”

Sherlock said the dangerous and illegal use of scramblers, e-bikes and e-scooters has been allowed to become normalised, intimidating residents and placing children and pedestrians at constant risk.

She said communities and public representatives have sought a comprehensive response for years, but argued the Government has failed to deliver meaningful enforcement or clear operational policies, including on the use of drones.

Sherlock pointed to previous serious incidents, including the catastrophic injuries suffered by Ilabek Avetian in Coolock in 2018.

She also said e-scooter related brain injuries now account for more than 25 percent of paediatric neurosurgical admissions in CHI at Temple Street in the past year, describing the situation as a growing public safety crisis.

She acknowledged that scramblers are used by some in the farming community, but said a temporary freeze is needed while legislation and Garda operational approaches are properly worked out.

Garda difficulties, she said, include the fact that many of those using scramblers, e-bikes and e-scooters are under 18, but she insisted this cannot be used as an excuse for inaction. She called for a visible Garda response, including targeted checkpoints, mass confiscation of illegally used or non-compliant vehicles, and dynamometer testing at urban speed checkpoints to identify modified bikes.

Sherlock also said the Government must examine whether retailers are exploiting legislative gaps by selling non-compliant vehicles under the guise of off-road use, and pointed to enforcement approaches used in other countries.

“The tragic death of Grace Lynch must mark a turning point,” she said. “We need decisive enforcement and a national strategy that puts public safety first.”

Dublin North-West TD Paul McAuliffe has also called for an enforced ban on scrambler and related motor-powered bikes following the fatal incident in Finglas on Sunday.

“As a parent, I can’t even imagine how Grace Lynch’s family feels,” he said.

“Our whole community will support them and Grace’s friends over the coming days. That’s what we do in Finglas.”

McAuliffe said communities across Dublin have warned for years about the dangers posed by scramblers, with people reporting harm, near misses and daily nuisance.

He urged the Government and the Garda Commissioner to act quickly to ban the bikes and to enforce existing powers, including those introduced under the Road Traffic Act 2023.

“Unfortunately, our community is still seeing these bikes on our roads every week,” he said.

He said he met the Minister for Justice to communicate the feeling of those at a vigil the previous night, and said he would continue to press for stronger enforcement, further legislation where needed and community supports to prevent further tragedies.

“We need consistent enforcement, early intervention, and a zero tolerance approach to dangerous behaviour on scramblers,” he said.