6. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department will consider introducing a statutory indemnity for gardaí who are acting within reason while pursuing persons driving scramblers and other vehicles recklessly and illegally. [49644/26]

Sentiment score: 0.18

I raise again the issue of scramblers. We all know responsibility for this is across the Minister's Department and that of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. We need to get to grips with this problem. We need to take back our streets from scramblers, which are being deployed by criminal gangs as a method of muling drugs and intimidating communities. I warmly welcome the enactment of Grace's Law but, on its own, it is not enough. We need to follow up with enforcement of this law. In that context, will the Minister consider implementing a professional licence or a statutory indemnity for gardaí who act reasonably in the pursuit of scramblers?

Sentiment score: -0.11

I welcome the Minister's response in that regard but the suggestion made is only one of a suite of measures to combat this reckless carry-on. We need more accountability from importers of scramblers, more Garda pursuit training, more intelligence gathering and more community involvement in handing over intelligence to Garda authorities. Police services in other jurisdictions are provided with training on scramblers to pursue and apprehend people riding scramblers. This Government must urgently support the Garda, not just with legislation but with the wherewithal to pursue, apprehend and prosecute those involved. The courts must also take a very serious view of this behaviour and back our gardaí in their work.

Sentiment score: -0.10

I thank the Minister again. We must act with a comprehensive suite of measures, as he said, and we must make rapid progress on this. I know what he said about thousands of scramblers being seized by gardaí but there are still many on our streets endangering the public, so we must act with speed.

Sentiment score: 0.32