Departmental Data
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Peadar Tóibín (AON), Meath West

I appreciate that it is the job of the accident and emergency departments to treat patients, but I also believe that you cannot manage if you cannot measure. The collection of data on public health issues is a key element to track the development of a public health crisis through society. I also understand that some of the issues around this are not necessarily under the Minister's Department's direct responsibility, but we do have a crisis in this country. I myself have seen children as young as ten or 11 whizzing around in gangs, oblivious to the directions of the roads and roundabouts, flying on paths in public parks. These vehicles are being misused around the country and it is leading to a public health crisis.
Parents need to take responsibility. There is a massive lack of responsibility being taken by parents of pre-teen children. There should be fines involved in this, and gardaí need the ability to pursue scramblers and scooters to make sure they can actually bring them to a halt.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09