Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, I do not get any sense of urgency from the Minister of State that we are going to have laws introduced in September or October, and that is the crucial issue. Yes, we have rules now, and she listed them out in relation to the signs.

However, they are being ignored. The only place e-scooters are not being used is on the motorways, but they are being used extensively on footpaths and pedestrianised areas.

The type of scooters that do not comply remain illegal if they travel at more than 20 km/h. E-bikes need to be treated the same. Some do multiples of that speed, and very few do less unless they are kids’ toys. An ordinary e-scooter should not be treated as a toy. The 16-year-old age category is being completely ignored. I would appeal to parents who still think that these are children’s toys. They need to wise up for the safety of their own children and the general public. There is a role for the Government, but there is also a role for the public, which I accept. The existing rules the Minister of State has set out here are not being implemented. Either gardaí do not have the training or do not have the powers. That is the first thing.

Second, we must go further. Who covers the cost? If a pedestrian has a hip or a knee broken or, God forbid, something worse, who picks up the insurance cost? Why do we not have registration of ownership when they are bought so they are registered to an owner? Why is a helmet not compulsory? It is compulsory on a Honda 50, and some of these go much faster. We need to be careful. We need to have it for e-bikes as well. Why do the people who use them not have to know the rules of the road and pass a basic test? These are very basic requirements. If we do not do this, we are failing the public, and the safety of the public is our primary responsibility. We are also failing those people who drive them safely. We need to make sure that people can use them safely for work purposes and essential travel.

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