John Lahart
Dublin South-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I remember sitting in the back seat of my parents' car as we crossed the Border for the first time, a British soldier talking to my father, seeing his gun and having an awful gut feeling about the idea that a British soldier would be stopping my father's car. I was from Dublin.”
“In the current debate, when we talk about security, defence and how Ireland is going to approach this, I always say Ireland is having a conversation about this for the first time. Nobody needs to pressurise us about this; we will make our decisions about it ourselves in a mature way.”
“However, it would also give a real indication of the challenges that lie ahead of us in order to make that feeling of home for everybody who lives on the island a real possibility. That means there is a huge amount of work to be done.”
“There are real tax implications if they live in the Republic and work in the North, or if they live in the North and work in the Republic. We have not actually established some kind of common area or system that enables people to do that and it is actually hindering economic development and progress. IBEC has said that.”
“It lends itself to a very natural system of federal government where there is a capital in each province determining - not ruling, but representing everybody in those provinces - and maybe a central government made up of representatives of those four provinces.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute briefly on this debate. I was listening to some of it. I echo some of the comments made by Deputy Gogarty about the provocative nature of some of the matters that he raised and the wide range of issues we would need to consider. We do not talk about the North in this House enough.”
The complete record
Every one of 287 lines we hold for John Lahart, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 6.
“The point is that no one in the health service - I have spoken to doctors, consultants and nurses in this regard - seems to be escaping the break down in the boundaries and barriers of respect and protocols that existed. This affects health professionals and everyone else who works in the health system, such as orderlies, ushers, caretakers and catering staff. All those kinds of boundaries appear to have broken down. On top of going into work and being overwhelmed by the demand on the wards, intimidation and physical violence is also part and parcel in some parts of our hospital system. It is true that, last year alone, some 7,000 healthcare professionals left Ireland to work in Australia, at a time when we produce approximately 900 doctors and 1,600 nurses each year. That gap should and does give all of us pause for thought.”
“I urge those in charge of the systems that offer protection and pay to people in this situation to look on this with an empathetic eye and remember the days and nights when we applauded our nurses who stood between us and a pandemic. They were very much at the front line of that pandemic. I read recently in the newspaper that in Northern Ireland - I hope I have this correct - nurses' unions are considering that nurses wear body cameras, such is the level of assaults and intimidation of healthcare staff. While we read about attacks in emergency rooms here, for now, the decision has been taken not to take that step because it would violate patient privacy.”
“For example, I read an interview with the chairman of the board of University Hospital Limerick at the weekend about the frustrations and overwhelming pressures on the nursing staff at the hospital. Unfortunately, it is a story that keeps repeating itself. The safety and health, including the mental health and physical safety, of our nurses is critical. In a previous contribution, Deputy McGuinness mentioned the impact of long Covid on nursing staff. I have constituents, as many of the people in this House would have, who are nurses who suffer from long Covid and have seen their entitlements come to an end. They have had to add that stress to the stress of having a tedious, unrecognised illness and all the symptoms associated with that.”
“Since the beginning of 2020, there are nearly 11,000 additional nurses and midwives working in our health services, bringing the total number to 93,000. This achievement represents a 3% increase on the previous year, and it also represents the highest number of registrants to date. Progress has also been recognised internationally. Recent data from the OECD shows that Ireland is now among the leading countries in Europe for nurses per capita . These statistics represent real progress, but they do not give us licence, as previous speakers have said, for complacency. Staffing levels on paper do not always reflect the pressures that are felt on the ground, and many nurses continue to report workloads that are difficult to maintain.”
“It is not enough for this House to simply recognise that their work is important but to ensure that those who deliver care in healthcare settings outside of hospitals in our cities, towns and villages are properly supported in their work. We heard from the president of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation last week that nursing is a safety critical profession. Patient safety depends on having a sufficient number of skilled and experienced nurses and midwives and that they be respected and retained within our health system. That is a truth that all of us in this House agree with regardless of party affiliation. Despite criticism, it is also an area where the Government has made solid progress.”
“I do not think that anyone understands that truth more deeply or lives it more fully than the nurses in our hospitals, both private and public. Nurses understand that care is not secondary to cure. It is not an optional extra or a premium people pay for on their health insurance. It is an essential foundation of any humane health system, and it is our nurses who bring that foundation to life every day. They stand with patients and families during the longest nights and the hardest conversations, offering support when medicine alone is not enough. They are present not only in moments of recovery but also at moments of fear, uncertainty and loss. They are the beating heart of our health system.”
“I am fortunate enough to have the national ambulance training centre in Tallaght in my constituency as part of a broader expanding health campus adjacent to Tallaght University Hospital. The national ambulance training centre is an interesting place to visit. I recommend it to anybody who is involved or interested in health. Its staff are always delighted to facilitate Deputies to see exactly how it works in terms of how calls are taken, distributed and responded to. International Nurses Day, as we know, is marked on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the figure we associate with modern nursing and who understood something that remains as true now as it did then. She is attributed with the words "A cure is not always possible, but care is always possible".”
“When I think of nurses, male or female, I think of the stereotypical attributes that we associate with them: kindness, gentleness, warmth, a reassuring smile or word, but also their dedication and professionalism, as well as world-class qualifications, ability and professional capacity. It is appropriate that every year on this day, International Nurses Day, Parliament recognises and thanks those nurses for the extraordinary care that they provide to our communities every day. Those nurses include advance medical practitioners, and I am conscious of the National Ambulance Service and its strike action. I hope that the Government can assist in resolving this via the HSE as soon as possible.”
“This is not just exclusively a sectoral issue; it is a national economic issue Ireland needs a haulage sector that is strong, viable and future-proofed. I know the Government and the Minister support this. The people who keep this country moving deserve nothing less. I will continue to work with the Minister of State, his ministerial colleagues and the sector in order to ensure that the supports provided are meaningful, accessible and reflective of the real pressures that hauliers and transport operators face.”
“They will help, but will not resolve the structural issues hauliers face every day such as those relating to toll systems that are outdated, unfair port charges that are rising faster than margins, insurance premiums that are out of control, a licensing system that is driving young people out of the industry, compliance costs that keep increasing and a lack of support in respect of renewable fuels like HVO. If we want a resilient, competitive and sustainable haulage sector, and all of us do, these issues must be addressed because, as the Ceann Comhairle knows, when hauliers struggle, supply chains struggle, when supply chains struggle, businesses struggle, and when businesses struggle, families struggle.”
“This is simply not a sustainable model for a sector that is essential to our economy. I want to be clear that I support the hauliers and I support the Government in all its efforts to make the daily lives of hauliers easier. I support the workers who are doing everything they can to keep their businesses afloat in the face of rising costs. I support the small operators that are barely breaking even. I support the drivers who spend long hours on the road to keep shelves stocked and supply chains functioning. I want the haulers in my constituency to know that their concerns have been heard and that their contribution is truly valued. I will continue to raise their issues in this House with Ministers and the Government. The €120 million RTSS and the €100 fuel support scheme are very welcome.”
“New EU rules require hauliers to retrofit smart tachographs across their fleets at significant expense. Operators accept the need for both safety and compliance, but they cannot absorb every single new cost without support. I contrast the support for purchasers of electric cars with the lack of supports for the essential service of haulage. There is a shortage of drivers. We cannot recruit young Irish drivers because the testing regime has been allowed to fall into dysfunction so it is taking young men and women up to two years to get a commercial licence. Most give up and go to other countries like Australia or Canada where they can work immediately. Meanwhile, the industry is forced to recruit drivers from elsewhere. In that context, the visa process has become a bureaucratic nightmare.”
“Hauliers wants to invest in greener fleets and be part of the climate solution, but HVO is more expensive and, unlike diesel, there is no rebate mechanism to offset the cost. We really need to move on this. Operators that are trying to do the right thing are finding that they are effectively penalised for it. If we want to support decarbonisation in transport, this gap needs to be addressed. Insurance premiums remain exorbitant. Hauliers in my constituency tell me that they have seen no meaningful progress in tackling the cost of insurance. For many operators, insurance is now one of their single largest expenses. Without reform, this will continue to undermine competitiveness and push smaller operators out of the market. Compliance costs are rising too.”
“In spite of the measures, fuel costs remain a major pressure. The RTSS is designed to help when diesel exceeds €1.90 per litre and that threshold reflects the point at which many operators simply cannot cope. However, hauliers are not just dealing with diesel. This is a point I have raised with the Minister and I know he is sympathetic to this. Many operators want to use hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, and many operators are using it. HVO is a cleaner renewable fuel that can significantly reduce emissions. A haulier in my constituency is very proud of the fact that his company has moved to HVO, but there is no reward for the greening of either his company or his operating costs.”
“Is it true that in order to claim it, drivers must stop at toll plazas every day and buy books of paper passes? That seems unsafe, outdated and completely impractical in the context of modern logistics. If true, it is a discount that exists only on paper. Applying it automatically to prepaid toll tags would be a far simpler and fairer reform that is overdue. Then there are the new charges at Dublin Port, which include a 5% increase in container prices and a new €15 infrastructure fee together amounting to a 46% rise in the cost of moving containers in and out of the country. Hauliers tell me that this comes on top of a dysfunctional operating system and model at the port, with opening hours that push trucks onto an already congested M50. They described the system as fundamentally unworkable and out of step with major EU ports.”
“However, the reality on the ground is that hauliers are still facing a perfect storm in the form of pressures that no single scheme can fully offset. On 1 January last, tolls increased again on some roads where it seems that enormous profits are already being made by the toll operators. We are talking about a 20 cent rise per journey on the M50, bringing tolls to €7.80 return, or €8.80 on other motorways. Many hauliers pass through multiple toll plazas every day. The Irish Road Haulage Association has said the average haulier now pays around €150,000 a year in tolls, with larger operators paying up to a €250,000 annually. This is not sustainable. Is it true that hauliers are legally entitled to a 10% discount under toll bylaws but in practice, they cannot get access to this very easily?”
“These are people who are feeling genuine pressure, who are watching their costs rise week after week and who simply cannot afford to absorb another price increase. Their concerns deserve to be heard with respect and without judgment. I acknowledge the work that has been done by the Government, the Minister, the Minister of State and others. The RTSS and the fuel support scheme represent a really meaningful step forward. These schemes will provide relief for many operators, and I welcome the engagement that has taken place between the Department and the sector. These schemes recognise the essential role played by hauliers, bus operators, farmers and contractors in keeping Ireland supplied and connected.”
“I acknowledge the men and women who keep this country moving. The Ceann Comhairle knows all about them from a previous life. Our hauliers are not constitutive of an abstract sector in the economy; they are people who deliver every product on every shelf, every medical supply to every hospital and every tonne of gravel to every construction site. They are the ones who collect our waste and recycling material before most of us have even awoken in the morning. They drive through the day and night and in all weathers so the country can function. When they struggle, the entire country feels it. Without them, Ireland stops. It is as simple as that. In recent weeks, we saw protests across the country. There were many voices involved and many genuine people were present.”
“One-off housing and the issues around this, as mentioned by all previous speakers, apply as much in rural south-west Dublin as they do in any other part of rural Ireland. Our Rural Future is an ambitious policy. The people who live in the rural part of my constituency, including sheep farmers and other farmers and horticulturists, are guardians of the part of the countryside that is closest to the city and its suburbs. We need to ensure that this policy delivers and is seen to deliver for those in Dublin South-West and in parts of rural south Dublin who experience both the fantastic opportunities rural life offers them and the challenges of living in rural Ireland close to a city every day.”
“It means that children who grew up in the mountains now live in the suburbs of Old Bawn and Aylesbury while their parents, some of whom are ageing - a point made by the previous speaker - live in the foothills. This puts things like school numbers under pressure. I have seen the success of the Local Link transport in rural towns and villages in Ireland, but there is no Local Link service in the rural foothills of my constituency. Such a service would be of huge assistance to parents with children attending national school. Digital connectivity and physical connectivity go hand in hand, and a community cannot thrive if either is unreliable. The consultation process must take account of a number of themes.”
“As this consultation process moves forward, it is essential that the Department actively captures the experience of communities like those in Dublin South-West. The purpose of this consultation is to listen. With regard to one-off housing - or the lack of it - on the Bohernabreena west side of the mountain and the Rathfarnham east side of the mountain, barely any planning permission for new homes has been granted by South Dublin County Council in the past ten to 15 years. I could probably count on both hands the number of homes in respect of which permission has been granted during my 27 years as a public representative. What this has done is split families and children from their parents.”
“Parents tell me of their children being unable to complete homework as a result of patchy connections. There are workers who are trying vainly to participate in hybrid work but who find themselves constantly at a disadvantage in that regard. The same is true of road access, particularly in view of recent and ongoing closures. As a result of subsidence across on the Rathfarnham side of the Dublin Mountains, the Cruagh Road was closed causing significant inconvenience to local residents. People travelling to work, school or medical appointments found themselves facing detours. The feeling is that if this had been a suburban road, the problem would have been addressed much more quickly.”
“I would say to the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan that far from being a weakness, this blend of rural and urban is one of our great strengths because it gives people in the constituency a unique perspective. They know that rural Ireland is not some distant concept. It begins just a few minutes from the M50. It provides a truly enriching backdrop to suburban life and it is also home to hundreds of families. They know that when we talk about balanced development, fairness and investment, those principles must apply to every community, including those on the edge of our suburbs. One of the clearest examples in this regard is broadband. Despite being so close to the city, there are still homes on the Bohernabreena side of the mountains that struggle with unreliable or inadequate connectivity and the consequences associated with that.”
“In recent weeks, the national conversation has been dominated by the fuel protests. These have prompted some to speak about a supposed rural-urban divide. What I hear from people who live in my constituency is very different. Dublin South-West residents understand both sides of the debate because we have both rural and urban areas. Many families in rural south Dublin balance the realities of suburban life, with the rural reality of having the mountains on their doorstep. These communities experience the same day-to-day challenges as any rural parish, with long commutes, limited public transport and infrastructure that has not always kept pace with demand.”
“Like colleagues, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the consultation process relating to Our Rural Future. While this policy is often spoken about in the context of counties far from Dublin, the truth is that many of the challenges it seeks to address are felt just as strongly in parts of my constituency. Two fifths of Dublin South-West is rural. The constituency stretches out beyond Tallaght towards Brittas and the border with Wicklow on one side and through rural Rathfarnham out the Old Military Road across the Featherbeds, past the Captain Noel Lemass monument and into the county of Wicklow. The foothills of the Dublin Mountains, which I represent, cover Rathfarnham to Tibradden and Killakee and Glenasmole, Crooksling, Brittas and Bohernabreena on the western side of the mountains.”
“To finish, the Minister of State is very popular in the school. He did visit the school and following his visit, the school invested €2 million in the actual campus and this is one of the shames of the thing. That has not been forgotten by the school either.”
“I thank the Minister of State for that and I would be very positive about meeting him. The first issue is the complex and high-risk needs of pupils, which were not considered by the review panel prior to the decision. That raises the credibility, transparency and integrity of the review process, unfortunately generally, because if it happened there, as previous Deputies said, where else has it happened? The school has been formally requesting access to nursing support since June 2025. During this time, the needs of the child in question have become more complex and safety risks have escalated. The board of management is not sure, for example, whether the school is covered from an insurance point of view because of the possible clinical needs of the student. That is it in a nutshell, along with all the other things my colleagues have said.”
“When it was challenged by the principal and pointed out it had made a determination without the full documentation, the decision was subsequently reversed. That alone really needs to be investigated. We all have a few other points to make in the second round.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his presence tonight. I wish to focus in on one particular aspect as well, that is, serious concerns regarding the credibility of the review process that was initiated. In the absence of nursing provision in the school, the school engaged in what was an extremely detailed and arduous SNA review process in an effort to secure additional SNA support. Deputy Crowe referred to this. Parents were asked to complete extensive questionnaires outlining in detail the significant and complex needs of their children. These are families we know are already under enormous strain. That documentation identified as part of the review process was not considered by the review panel. It is still sitting in the principal’s office. Despite this, a determination was made to reduce that school's allocation.”
“Operation Kenova allows us another layer of acknowledgement of harm and suffering that was visited on people on both sides, particularly the traumas faced by victims and families across all communities. That is recognised. Forgive me, a Chathaoirleach Gníomhach. I did not realise there was a second Government speaker, so I will wrap up on that. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach might allow a bit more time.”
“This operation report confirms serious collusion and intelligence-sharing by security forces. No evidence of political level collusion was found. There was no evidence of British state involvement in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, although it has not been definitively excluded, which is a critical point. Operation Turma was an investigation into the 1982 murder of three RUC officers. It led to a prosecution and an extradition this year. The key point arising from that is that, in some cases, historic prosecutions remain possible. Operation Mizzenmast examined the 1972 killing of Jean Smyth-Campbell and alleged failures in the original investigation. It highlighted long-standing issues with how certain killings were handled by the security forces.”
“Its focus was on whether murders and torture were allowed in order to protect the agent. The report of Operation Kenova contains strong criticism of the IRA's use of intimidation and violence. Operation Denton looked into the activities of the Glenanne Gang. It reviewed killings by a loyalist network involving UVF, RUC and UDR members. When reading these things, it strikes me that these acronyms are probably completely alien to a modern audience, yet we grew up listening to them every day on every news network. That is a tribute to all those who engaged in bringing and building peace and persuading others of the need for peace. These reports look at some of the unfinished business of that process. The Glenanne Gang was believed to have been responsible for up to 120 murders, including the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.”
“Returning to the report in hand, for those who might be watching and wondering, as some of my staff were this morning, what was Operation Kenova, we know it covered a number of operations. It was a group of independent investigations from about 2016 into Troubles-related murders, torture, kidnappings and alleged collusion involving paramilitaries and British state actors. It can be seen as an umbrella for four investigations, namely, Operation Kenova, Operation Denton, Operation Turma and Operation Mizzenmast. The essential summary points of these four investigations were as follows. Operation Kenova looked at the actions of Stakeknife - it is a name we all grew up with but younger people might not be familiar with it - a British agent in the internal security unit of the Provisional IRA.”
“In the contemporary climate where the country and the Government need to engage seriously on topics of defence and national security, there has to be a sensitivity that the words "defence" and "security" have a completely different resonance in the Republic of Ireland than they may have in the Six Counties. The Kenova report demonstrates exactly why that is the case. There are lingering suspicions and lingering mistrust, there are a number of unfinished chapters in the history of the relationship between the two islands and plenty of unfinished business needs to be undertaken. There is nothing particularly radical, dramatic or hyperbolic in that statement.”
“Shortly afterwards, in August, he was cleared of those allegations and returned to duty, but critically he was not reinstated as head of the inquiry he was removed from. That inquiry was taken over by Colin Sampson of West Yorkshire Police and its findings were never made public. One cannot help but think of the words of de Valera in response to Churchill at the end of the war when he said that, more than occasionally in our history, there has been a danger that Britain's necessity would become a moral code. I will not get knee deep in or wade into issues that are sensitive, but I will make one point.”
“I welcome the publication of the final report of Operation Kenova. It brings me back to a different time many years ago when I was a younger man and became aware of collusion suggestions, British spy networks in the North and the report by former inspector John Stalker, whom the younger generation may not remember. It is worth using search engines to see the work he did, how that work was impeded and the resulting measures that were taken. In summary, in 1986, just before John Stalker, who was chief constable of Manchester police - he was not an inspector - was to make his final report on the issues I just mentioned, he was removed from his position in charge of the inquiry he led. That was in June. Later in June, he was suspended from duty over allegations of associating with criminals.”
“It ensures the new framework will be introduced in an orderly way as the rent pressure zone provisions expire. The Bill offers necessary and balanced reform. It is one of many such reforms the Minister has introduced. Since his appointment, his approach has been to take his time while being very thorough and to come up with a good policy at the end of that thoroughness. The Bill supports the conditions needed to grow rental supply. For renters in my constituency and elsewhere, who include families, workers, students, carers, retired people, older people, single people and married people, security and predictability are not luxuries; they are the foundation of a stable life. I believe and hope this legislation will move us in that direction. I join the Minister in commending it to the House.”
“On the development of new apartments, and new developments generally, the Minister's approach links rent changes to inflation. This is intended to deliver certainty and encourage investment and building at scale. Having listened to the Minister, I know he has done his homework on this. The country urgently needs more rental accommodation and apartments in particular. Investors like to have certainty, a predictable playing pitch and clear visibility of the horizon ahead. The Minister's objective is to make delivery more predictable in order that the pipeline of new rental homes can grow. Regarding the timing and fairness of the legislation, I support the provision that these measures are designed to apply to new tenancies from 1 March this year. That gives clarity as to who is affected and when.”
“We need a functioning market that supports the construction of more rental homes, especially apartments and that retains landlords who might otherwise exit the sector. This is why the Minister has provided measures in this Bill designed to retain and attract investment and new supply while pairing those measures with stronger security for tenants. The ability to set rent to market at the start of a new tenancy in defined circumstances and to reset between tenancies is part of that balancing act. However, in return, tenants get stronger security of tenure, including a six-year rolling minimum duration and significant restrictions on termination grounds. I think the Minister has tried to make that balance central to his package of general reforms of the market.”
“I welcome the increased emphasis on transparency in rent setting, including measures aimed at improving the information available in the system around rent levels. Better transparency supports fairness for tenants and better compliance overall. As the Minister has been in his contributions to the debate and about housing generally since his appointment, I wish to be direct about supply. Supply of new builds is the only durable way to bring down pressures on the rental sector. Protecting tenants is essential. I have outlined that in the first part of my contribution. We must also ensure that the rental sector is capable of growing. The current system has not been serving people properly. The Housing Agency review informed the legal framing and direction of these reforms.”
“That ability to plan matters affects children, schooling, employment, carer and whether people can truly build a life in a new community and set down strong roots. The Bill introduces a simpler and fairer rent control framework nationally. I never quite got my head around some of the rules that have applied for the past decade or so. We are moving from rent pressure zones to a national system of rent control providing clarity and consistency across the country. Annual rent increases for covered tenancies will be capped in line with inflation using the consumer price index with a 2% cap in higher inflation periods. That is a real comfort for renters. It is a clear straightforward protection for tenants and removes the unevenness and confusion that developed under the rent pressure zones.”
“The Minister is also building on the principle of long-term renting by strengthening tenure duration in the Bill. That goes back to the original point made in the Bill of people being able to plan their lives. A six-year period gives a degree of security. I hope some day that we get to that Vienna model where people can take out a tenancy for life that reflects their living situation and the changing life situation, they are in whether it is illness, out of work or retirement and reflects the manner in which people live. This gives people a degree of security moving forward through rolling tenancies of a minimum duration of six years for new tenancies. That is another tangible improvement in stability for individuals and their families.”
“The Minister has strengthened protections in a way that renters will feel in their day-to-day lives. It certainly brings a measure of medium- to long-term stability that simply does not exist unless one has the securest of tenancies. A major step forward is the restriction on no-fault evictions, particularly in relation to larger landlords. From 1 March 2026, tenants entering new tenancies with landlords and companies who hold four or more tenancies will no longer face no-fault evictions. That is a profound shift in the balance of security for renters. Importantly, tenants of smaller landlords, which is those of three or fewer tenancies, will also benefit from substantially improved protections. This matters in a constituency like Dublin South-West where many renters are renting from smaller landlords and need clearer, fairer rules.”
“I have spoken to individuals and parents have come to my clinics who are terrified of having to pull their children out of school mid-term or face another long commute across the city because they have been priced out of their area. The Minister for housing is aware of this as well and is sympathetic to it. As colleagues have, I have listened to renters who simply cannot make a plan for the future because they do not know if they will be in the same home in six months. As we all know, housing insecurity affects every facet of life, including work, family stability, health, mental health and well-being. That is why the most important promise in this Bill is greater security of tenure. The Bill significantly restricts so-called no-fault evictions for new tenancies.”
“This Bill attempts to do both in a way that replaces a degree of confusion and complexity at times with clarity through a new approach that looks at the entire issue from a national perspective as opposed to a piecemeal geographical perspective. I wish to put a human face on the debate that all of us here as TDs can do by reflecting the reality in our own constituencies. During my time as a TD representing Dublin South-West, I have met far too many people living with deep insecurity in their tenancies. These are people who pay their rent, and exceptionally high rent in some cases. They contribute to their communities and they are trying to raise children and hold down jobs. In some cases, they are carers. They still live with the constant fear of a termination notice.”
“I echo the sentiments expressed regarding the loss of life in the city today at lunchtime in the public transport accident. I echo what the Minister of State said about people not posting images of it on social media. Our thoughts are with them. There has been one fatality and a number of injuries. Our best thoughts go from this House to the people involved. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I support the legislation because it addresses two realities that we cannot afford to ignore. First, renters need stronger protections and real security. Second, our rental sector needs a stable, reliable, predictable framework that helps to grow and retain landlords within it.”
“The Ceann Comhairle took some moments of my time welcoming people. I can say that because she is gone. That power to destroy scramblers existed under previous laws because of a lack of insurance or a lack of tax. If we do succeed, and I hope we do, they will be replaced by something else. We have to prepare for that. This is not the end of the story. We need to remain really vigilant. I welcome the work the Minister of State and the Ministers for justice and Transport have done.”
“A scrambler that appears on the street when these laws and regulations come in still has to be pursued and the rider still has to be caught safely. This has been raised by previous speakers. I support the use of drone technology in this and the expertise that other police forces have garnered.”
“Essentially, it is a pretty sophisticated Garda youth diversion scheme where scrambler riders are taught to respect the rules of the road, how to maintain a scrambler bike, the correct reflective clothing to wear, how to ride and drive safely and how to respect other users on the road. There has been a lot of success to that. I tried to replicate it in my own local authority and brought the Moyross people to meet and engage with South Dublin County Council. It never went farther than that and I am hugely disappointed that it did not happen. I welcome the ban because the destruction caused by scramblers to parks in my community, and the menace caused to people, particularly children and older people, continues. I want to say to the Minister of State that we still have to find a way to catch them.”
“That comes down to an elongated consultation process that was going on between officials at Garda level and in the Department of Transport. I am not going to say politicians did their bit on this but we certainly did our utmost in passing that law to give the powers to those who requested them to ensure that the scourge and antisocial menace of scramblers could be stopped once and for all. I welcome the complete ban. I am disappointed about certain initiatives. I tried to bring one to south Dublin. I refer to the Moyross initiative where gardaí have engaged with scrambler users, the Road Safety Authority, community workers and social partnership.”