Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and the Ceann Comhairle. I suppose it is better late than never in many respects. The Road Safety Authority's review could have been commissioned when the first parliamentary questions on this matter were being set down. Clearly it was going to be an area that deserved further scrutiny. Based on comparable European countries the matter was clearly going to be an area that needed legislative scrutiny or potential legislative change. I welcome the Minister's response, belated as it is. These electrically assisted scooters require a manual start. They have to be kick started by the user and must reach a minimum of 7 km per hour under the rider's own propulsion, before the electric assist kicks in. Accordingly, this is where the ambiguity exists. In discussions with the motor taxation offices it appears that these vehicles cannot be taxed. Even if one wanted to tax them one could not. This is where the ambiguity and grey area exists. Ultimately, multiple agencies of the State have differing views on how these vehicles should be treated. I believe, and officials of various agencies believe, that it is necessary to bring about some legal clarity on the matter either to legalise them or explicitly make them unusable. It is necessary to introduce legislation.

I welcome the Minister's closing point in his statement that the RSA will be commissioned to put together a report. I urge the Minister to ensure that the RSA does this in short order and quickly. Many thousands of people use these vehicles and many hundreds more are buying them every week. There is an onus on us to bring clarity to the area and, as legislators, to make sure that we legislate accordingly.

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