Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Kelly on 9 June 2026.

MLA: Mr Gerry Kelly
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 9 June 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5602124

Text

Go raibh maith agat.
Sinn Féin supports all three of the amendments in group five. As we know, amendment Nos 74 and 75 will introduce new powers to allow the police do drug testing at checkpoints and road traffic collisions, which will bring drug testing in line with existing alcohol breath testing. It is a necessary step to ensure public safety. A number of Members have given examples of why that is necessary, which I do not need to go into. I will speak a wee bit more about amendment No 90, which will strengthen police seizure powers for tackling motor vehicles that are being used in a manner that is causing alarm, distress or annoyance. In my constituency — I presume that this is also the case in many others — I see an increase in the use of e-scooters, scramblers and e-bikes. While there is no doubt about the potential benefits of the use of e-scooters, I see those vehicles being used recklessly and dangerously every day. Other Members have also spoken about that. Young people are riding those powerful machines without protective helmets, swerving in and out of traffic, doing stunts and putting themselves and others in harm's way. They are often dressed all in black, and drivers in particular have great difficulty seeing them. I have seen a lot of them whose faces are covered, who are dressed deliberately in black and who travel from interface to interface at certain times. I am not tarring them all with the same brush, but you can see a growing misuse of them in other ways as well. In West Belfast just last week, at least two children were hospitalised as a result of collisions involving e-scooters and e-bikes, including one in which a young person's head went through the back window of a car. They are very lucky to be alive. Not so long ago, a devastating loss of life was experienced at the hands of young person who was driving a scrambler in a public park in Suffolk. A mother of three lost her life. Her husband, children and family have to live with that pain for the rest of their lives. We are talking about something that is provably very serious. It is only a matter of time before more lives are lost. We all need to step up to ensure that the police have the powers to act.
Surely.
I am not sure that that is correct, but I take your point. However, that is a different issue. We will deal with that issue as we go on, as you know. I want to concentrate on this issue for the moment.
Thank you.
I will not, because, frankly —.
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
Many of my constituents are frightened to walk on footpaths or cross roads out of fear of those fast and powerful vehicles being driven dangerously and weaving in and out of traffic and pedestrians. As some Members mentioned, elderly people and those with visual impairments have a particular fear. Like other Members, I am contacted by constituents who are telling me clearly that we need to do something to tackle the problem. I am therefore pleased to support the cross-party amendment, as it will strengthen the police's power to seize such vehicles immediately when they are being:
"used in manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance".
I understand that the amendment is not a panacea. Ultimately, however, it will improve the tools at the police's disposal. There is a further issue regarding what happens to the vehicles once they are seized. The police should have the power to destroy them if it is determined that they were being driven illegally or dangerously. I have raised the issue with the police on a number of occasions and along with Nuala McAllister at the Policing Board, as she said. In North Belfast, 12 such vehicles were seized within a week, and I understand that 10 were seized elsewhere in Belfast. The legislation is not clear enough on what to do with them. Responsibility for increasing the PSNI's enforcement powers may fall to the Justice Minister. Legislation may be required. We talked about regulations earlier, and a number of Members said that we may have to return to the issue. I understand that we are dealing with one particular issue in the Bill, but the Minister may agree that it is something that we should come back to as our experience of what is happening grows. I would welcome an update from the Minister, if she has one to give. She may agree that we can do something at Further Consideration Stage; maybe that is not right. In fairness to the Minister, she was nodding her head, so we may return to the issue, because more powers are needed, maybe through primary legislation or maybe through regulations. As everybody knows, it is already illegal to use such vehicles on public roads. There is therefore a need for proper enforcement and for proper education of our young people and their parents, as has been mentioned a number of times, on the dangers of misusing those vehicles.

862 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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