Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill my colleague, Deputy Marc MacSharry, has brought before the House. Some Members can use public transport to travel to Leinster House but those of us who live outside the Dublin area have to use our cars to do so, mainly because of the time at which we leave the building in the evenings. We can bear witness to the worsening congestion and overcrowding in Dublin and other urban areas. We have to think outside the box and consider alternatives to private cars and public transport.

Dublin city, as we know from research, is now the slowest city centre in Europe in terms of traffic. Dublin drivers now spend 246 hours, or ten days, per year stuck in traffic. This costs the economy approximately €350 million per annum. I know many people who commute to Dublin from south Kildare. Several commuters I know from Newbridge use e-scooters every day because they believe this is a far better means of getting to work in terms of time spent in congested traffic.

We need to seriously invest in Ireland's transport network and examine alternatives such as e-scooters. The pressing issues of climate change and air quality must be factored into that. The reality is that e-scooters, like e-bikes, present an exciting new personal transport possibility, provided they are properly regulated. The current ban on their use on Irish roads is pointless, inconsistently applied and stuck in the dark ages. Despite numerous commitments from Government Deputies and the Minister, Deputy Ross, to regularise the status of e-scooters, the users of these vehicles remain as much in the dark as ever. The fact that the Road Safety Authority has recommended that e-scooters be legalised is significant. However, we also recognise that safety regulations are laid down.

Last week, the Green Party leader, Deputy Eamon Ryan, stated that people living in rural Ireland should give up using their cars. That is a non-runner. Those of us who live in rural Ireland know that 30 cars for a population of 300 in a small village is a non-runner for people who have to travel to work or university or for health or social reasons.

As a party, we are invested in offering real solutions to people who want to avoid traffic and reduce their carbon footprint. It is about providing people with workable alternatives rather than penalising those who have to rely on their cars. The Bill Deputy MacSharry has introduced aims to create a legal regime for the use of e-scooters, one that is based on common sense and lessons from other jurisdictions. It removes the requirement for these vehicles to be taxed, which is an onerous requirement that does not recognise the nature of these vehicles. It also sets out a speed limit as well as the requirement to wear a safety helmet, which is very important. There are safety considerations to be taken into account because there have been a number of serious and non-serious injuries involving e-scooters abroad. Our Bill sets the speed limit at 25 km/h, which mirrors speed limits in other European countries. It also requires that e-scooters be fitted with a limiter, which is a device that would prevent them travelling above a certain speed.

I hope other Members of the House will support the Bill and oppose the Government amendment. It is not good enough to simply put off tackling legislation that is needed. We need positive, proactive action, as proposed in this Bill. I commend it to the House.

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