Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The other aspect of this I am worried about is that anecdotal evidence from my constituency and around the country suggests that e-scooters are being used in many cases to facilitate antisocial behaviour, and because they do not have to be registered to an owner, there is no accountability regarding the vehicle. There are concerns about visibility for other road users. As the Minister of State said, there are also concerns about footpaths being used to facilitate e-scooters, all of which is illegal. The introduction of a regime with registration or insurance requirements would make sure the user would have accountability.

Any regulatory regime would have to acknowledge that e-scooters create convenience for a lot of road users and that they are part of our overall active travel approach. However, a regulatory regime must strike a balance between the need for convenience and the need for safety, not only of e-scooter users but of other road users as well. I would love to work with the Minister of State and other Ministers to bring forward a regulatory regime that would bring that accountability to the use of e-scooters while maintaining their safe use for convenience.

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