Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The issue I am raising with the Minister of State is the increase in the number of injuries, including those involving young children, relating to e-scooters and e-bikes. Ten have been killed. Temple Street hospital consultants have been highlighting the number of serious injuries, including the fact that six children are currently in the intensive care unit. The Children's Health Ireland report released today shows the scale of the problem. Eighteen children have been admitted with serious brain injury in the past year. These are all serious injuries. Of those admitted with head injuries, 97% had fractured skulls and 53% required emergency brain surgery. This is a serious matter.

The current laws are not being enforced. The 20 km/h speed limit is not being implemented. E-scooter drivers should be over 16. I have seen children of nine and ten years old on them. They are carrying passengers when they should not. They are on footpaths when they should not be on them. I see them in Dublin, Laois and everywhere else with no lights at night time, particularly in the winter months. I see it in every Laois town, and I have received complaints from every corner of the county about it.

The number of e-scooters and e-bikes has ballooned, but so has the number of serious injuries. Some are travelling at speeds of three times the legal limit. We have all had near misses. I am sure the Minister of State has. If people are shopping in the street or anything like that, they would nearly be crashed into by people on e-scooters. The situation is out of control, and that is only wording I can use for this.

We are dealing with e-scooters and e-bikes, but these are mechanically propelled vehicles. They are not toys. Some of them are capable of travelling at significant speeds comparable to petrol scooters, mopeds and small motorbikes that people need to have a licence to drive.

Some people are calling for a ban on them. I am not in favour of a ban, but we do need to take action quickly. A lot of people use them for work and necessary travel. They are economical to run, have almost zero carbon emissions, take up limited road space and are more environmentally friendly than cars and SUVs, of which there is an increasing number on the road. I do not think we should ban them, but we need to get this right.

What is required is proper regulations for these mechanically propelled vehicles - that is what they are - and for the gardaí to have the training and powers to enforce new laws. The priority has to be enforcing the existing rules around speed limits, so that people stay within the 20 km/h, and ensuring that hey have lights, do not carry passengers and are not on footpaths. These are basic things, but much more than that is needed because of the scale of what we are facing.

If people have to pass a test to drive a small motorbike or scooter, they should have to do the same thing for these e-bikes, some of which are as fast as small motorbikes or scooters and maybe even faster. Helmets need to be compulsory. People are suffering serious head injuries and head traumas. The consultants felt that they had to come out to the media and call on us to do this. We need to have registration. They can be registered when they are bought. We should know who owns them and they should third party insurance. If a driver crashes into someone and injures them, who picks up the medical bill for it? It is the unfortunate shopper.

There needs to be an urgency about this. It is a public safety issue, and the public are demanding action. Can this House bring in legislation as a matter of priority in September? I believe there is support for it across this House and the public would certainly support it, including some people who use e-scooters.

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