NEW regulations known as Grace’s Law, which will ban the use of scramblers in all public places in Ireland, is set to come into effect on Friday.
The new legislation is named after Grace Lynch, the 16-year-old girl who died in January after being struck by one of the off-road motorcycles while walking in Finglas.
Under the new regulations, the use of an off-road motorcycle will be prohibited in any place, except on private land where they may be used the landowner or by someone else who has obtained the landowner’s written consent.
Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Transport, welcomed today’s approval from the government for the ban, saying he was ‘thinking very much of Grace and her family’.
“These regulations complete the introduction of provisions in the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 to tackle the dangerous use of scramblers,” he said.
“The regulations will ensure that gardaí have the full enforcement powers to remove the use of scramblers in public places and protect the safety of all road users.
“To honour the memory of Grace Lynch, and with the permission of her family, together these provisions applied to scramblers will be known as ‘Grace’s Law’.
“I hope that Grace’s name will be as a reminder to all of us that dangerous road use puts the lives of our friends, neighbours and families at risk.”
Legal clarity
Off-road scramblers have been illegal for use on public roads since July 2023 and it has also been illegal to drive them dangerously anywhere, even on private land.
Since then, more than 1,000 e-scooters, quad bikes and scramblers have been seized up to the end 2025.
However, the new regulations will bring additional legal clarity by consolidating the disparate existing provisions into a single legislative instrument in respect of scramblers.
The changes will ban the use of an off-road motorcycle in any place other than on private land.
Using a scrambler in any public place will now explicitly be an offence, whether or not it is being driven dangerously.
This will assist gardaí by ensuring that members no longer have to form a reasonable belief about dangerous use.
Off-road motorcycles will only be legal for use on private land by the landowner themselves, or with their written consent.
This will allow for the continued appropriate off-road use of scramblers or quad bikes for agricultural purposes and for controlled licenced sports events.
‘Help them heal’
Seán Canney, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, said he believed the regulations would make Ireland’s roads safer.
“We have introduced these new regulations to strengthen current restrictions and address the inappropriate use of scramblers in public places,” he said.
“Road safety is a top priority for me, my department and the government.
“These regulations will further protect the safety of all road users and bring assurance to communities who have been affected by their dangerous use.
“The government works collectively, collaboratively and continually with road safety stakeholders to ensure that safety of all road users remains topmost in all our minds.”
He added: “Today is a day we think of Grace and her family.
“We just hope that this regulation brought in today will help in some way to help them heal a little bit and also to reaffirm the government’s commitment to making sure that scramblers are not seen in our public places.”
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