Mr. John Fulham:

I thank the Deputy. As regards his point that e-scooters will be treated in a manner similar to bicycles, if that is to be the case, we need consistency. Bicycles are not currently allowed on footpaths. It is most unsettling to see a bicycle or an e-scooter coming at you on the footpath, but there is a common perception in terms of public behaviour that cycling on the footpath is frowned upon. People may become aggressive and vociferous about it, but that is not necessarily so in the case of e-scooters. In terms of consistency, what needs to be brought into the equation is the fact that an increasing number of scooters are battery-powered rather than manual. If there were to be consistency with the requirements for mopeds and motorbikes, a person would need to be 16 to start learning how to use them and would need a licence and insurance. Should e-scooters be placed in that category? I am not here to present solutions because there is far more work to be done. We are here to advocate on the issues. Those are my thoughts. If there is to be consistency, it must be consistent.

On the issue of regulation as compared with legislation, my concern with regulation again relates to consistency. For example, there is the potential for different speed limits in different regions of the country such that there would be different limits in Limerick, Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford or wherever. If these issues were addressed in legislation, that would provide a more robust framework. I think the key to all this is discussion, which probably has not taken place to date.