Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this issue. I commend my colleagues, Deputies Lahart, MacSharry and Troy, who worked very hard to bring the Bill forward.

The use of e-scooters is growing in popularity with commuters, and companies in our cities are offering e-scooter rentals to tourists. The Bill is timely. Whether one is a fan of e-scooters, they have become very popular in European countries. I will concentrate on health and safety issues because whether one likes them, health and safety have to be paramount.

Clarity needs to be brought to their use as they are in a legal limbo. The Road Safety Authority, RSA, has recommended that e-scooters be legalised, with important safety regulations laid down. The RSA carried out research into how other EU member states regulate the use of these vehicles. The report recommends that legislation should be developed which encourages the use of protective equipment by users, the provision of training and safety standards regarding their use and guidance on where they can be used. It also found that the use of such vehicles could help Ireland to reach its climate emissions targets. Providing these alternative travel means is sustainable and will ultimately reduce carbon emissions and provide a benefit to the environment.

E-scooters offer a green alternative to commuters making short journeys around cities and suburbs. They have the potential to reduce congestion and emissions. As it stands, e-scooter users should have insurance, road tax and driving licences, with penalties under road traffic laws, including fixed charge notices, penalty points, fines and possible seizures of vehicles for not being in compliance with these requirements. Despite this, it is currently not possible to tax or insure an e-scooter. Therefore, they are, essentially, illegal on Irish roads, and that is a worry.

The Bill aims to create a legal regime for the use of e-scooters that is based on a common-sense approach and lessons from other jurisdictions. It first removes the requirement for these vehicles to be taxed and insured, which are overly onerous requirements that do not recognise the nature of the vehicles. It also sets out a speed limit as well as a requirement to wear a helmet, which is very important.

With Christmas approaching, we will see more and more e-scooters on our roads and paths. As I thought about what I would say during this debate I did some research. I am not as familiar with these vehicles as other Deputies. They are prevalent in Dublin. I walked down a street at lunchtime and somebody whizzed past me on one. They are growing in popularity. I looked up what they cost. A lightweight e-scooter is available for €325 online and more expensive models cost anywhere from €600 up to a couple of thousand euro. My worry is that many young children and teenagers will be using e-scooters and that is why it is important to have this conversation. These scooters will be used by young people in particular, and health and safety has to be our main concern. I especially welcome the provision in the Bill on wearing a helmet as this will be the only protection for people's heads if accidents happen.

We need to invest seriously in Ireland's transport network and it is evident that in urban and suburban areas in particular new alternatives are needed. As we consider the route forward, the pressing issues of climate change and air quality need to be factored in. The reality is that e-scooters, like e-bikes, present an exciting new possibility in terms of personal transport. The current ban on their use on Irish roads is pointless, inconsistently applied and stuck in the dark ages.

Safety considerations must be taken into account when it comes to e-scooters, which have caused a number of serious and minor injuries abroad. The Bill sets a speed limit of 25 km/h, a limit which is mirrored across other jurisdictions. The Bill requires that all e-scooters be fitted with a limiter, a device that prevents them from travelling above a certain speed. Experience from other jurisdictions underscores the need to set down sensible regulations on the use of e-scooters before their use becomes commonplace. The Bill is timely and merits support.

Of course, e-scooters will always be safest where there is high-quality segregated infrastructure available to those who use them and to cyclists. Given the pressing nature of the issue, as my colleagues have said, they are open to accepting amendments on Committee Stage and hope the Bill will receive cross-party support.

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